Beauty and the Beast: A Star Wars Retelling
by ebmordecai
Summary: A fateful choice, a dark consequence. Ben Solo was cursed to live a hidious and painful existence for choosing the darkness within him. The only way to break the curse was to learn to love someone unconditionally and have that person love him in return. As the years flew by all hope of light seemed to vanish, for who could ever learn to love a beast? He was about to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Love. It is the greatest of powers to which all other powers fall to their knees in awe. Love can break the heart. Love can mend a soul. Love can break a curse. Love and hate, two powerful entities, yet the greatest of these two is love. Here is a story of the power of love and how it's effects can change even the blackest of souls.

Nestled in the farthest part, on the planet Jakku, sat a wondrous castle. Within the walls if this castle lived a loving couple. A prince and his princess, both adored and loved by their subjects. Han and Leia Solo spent their lives devoted to the good of their people earning them respect. They had it all, yet the one thing they wanted above all else was a baby.

They had tried conceiving for years, yet were unsuccessful. Many nights Han would hold his beloved wife as she wept for a child, her heart breaking with every tear shed. Just as it seemed their prayers would not be answered, Leia became pregnant. Nine months later, she held a perfect baby boy in her arms.

The boy grew up with no wants or needs. Blessed with beauty and wealth he was given everything his heart desired. He had been wanted by his mother to the point she could not deny him his heart's desires. As he grew, he became spoiled and slowly rotten on the inside, for he felt he was owed anything he wanted. This boy they had named Ben carried within him the Light and the Darkness. They waged a constant war within his heart, both trying to win the power of his soul.

Leia and Han noticed their son's souring behavior and did everything they could to help him change for good, but he rebelled against them. He became more dark and spoiled the older he became. When his parents realized they could not reach him they called out for help.

One day, a man came to court. He introduced himself as Snoke, and told Leia and Han he could help them turn their son on the path for which he was destined to go. He spoke words which hypnotized all who heard him speak. They agreed without hesitation, and gave the man full power over their young son. Blinded from his true intentions, they allowed a monster to control Ben. Snoke taught him darkness and pain. He taught him power was all that mattered. Love did not exist. Light was for the weak, and Ben was not weak. Snoke twisted Ben's mind to the point that no one that knew the boy recognized him any longer.

By the time Leia and Han realized what had happened it was too late. Their son was taken from them by Snoke. He was only eight years old, yet his eyes held years beyond his time. Under Snoke's guidance, he learned to embrace the darkness and snuff out the light. It was too late for anyone to interfere. The damage had been done.

One night, Leia and Han confronted Snoke and Ben. They had gathered in the Great Hall, sitting atop their thrones, looking down at their son and his master. Ben looked upon his parents with hate in his eyes sticking close to Snoke's side. Han had accused Snoke of deceiving them and taking their son from them. The more he talked, the angrier Ben felt at his father. Han wanted to banish Snoke from the castle. His father wanted to separate him from the only real father he felt he had ever had. He spoke those exact words to Han, wounding him deeply.

Snoke fought back against Leia and Han, refusing to leave. He threatened them that if they made him leave he would take Ben with him. Scared to lose their son, they relented. Months past and Ben became worse. He lashed out at his parents, at his servants, most of the time causing them physical pain. Still, no matter the darkness within him, Ben felt torn at times with his actions. His mother sensed this, thus giving her hope and helping her find the courage to take action against Snoke.

She, Han and their soldiers attacked Snoke, yet they misjudged his power. They did not know how powerful the darkness residing in him truly was. He struck down the soldiers with ease. When it came time for him to deal with Leia and Han he forced Ben to watch. The moment he saw Snoke's true intentions Ben felt a change of heart. He did not want his parents dead, but it was too late.

Snoke struck down Leia first killing her instantly. Both husband and son screamed as Leia fell to the ground, her blood running on the white floor. Han ran to her, holding her dead body to his chest and cursing Snoke. Ben stood, wide-eyed and paralyzed, as Snoke walked up behind his father and thrust a light saber into his back. He gave Han no warning, no word, as to what was about to happen. He just watched.

"Now, your training is complete," Snoke whispered, squeezing Ben's shoulder as he walked away.

Ben stood there for hours staring at his dead parents, knowing in his heart he had caused this. If it weren't for him Snoke would have never come. Even as the bodies were removed and buried by the servants Ben never moved. He was trapped in a nightmare, but little did he know his nightmare was only beginning.

Snoke disappeared the night Leia and Han died. No one knew where he went, but no one dared wished him to come back. The castle was thrown into chaos. The servants wailed for their lost Prince and Princess. Ben locked himself in his room, not wanting to face what his actions caused. He was the new ruler, yet he turned his back on his people. Most of them died of starvation, or chose to leave, but a few remained, and when Ben turned ten there came another unexpected visitor.

A frail, old woman asked to speak with Prince Ben Solo, but he refused to see her, so she left. She came back a second night, asking to speak with him again, yet he turned her away for the second time. On the third night, she did not ask for him, but with her power she summoned him to her. Disheveled and rotting away in his own self hatred he sneered at the old woman for her intrusion. He tried forcing her to leave his home, but she was more than what the eye beheld. Ben spat at her feet, calling her ugly and wasteful. She allowed him his outbursts, but for only so long.

As he watched, the old woman began to change. Light spread throughout her entire body causing Ben to have to shield his eyes. He had never seen anything so pure, so bright, and when the light faded before him stood a woman of such loveliness he fell to his feet in worship.

"Where are your parents, child?" she asked, softly.

Ben shuttered at the thought of his dead parents. Did she know what he had done? Is that why she was here? He shook his head violently. "It was a man named Snoke. He killed them."

"Did he? Yet, he left you alive?"

Ben said nothing. He drew his face closer to the floor, as if somehow that would hide his shame. What would this woman do to him? He could feel power surging through her body. He was no match for her.

"Snoke turned your soul dark, and you enjoyed it. He was a manifestation of your heart's desire. It may have been at his hands that your parents died, but it was your blackened soul that killed them. You allowed them to die without so much as a fight."

"H—he would have killed me too!" Ben cried.

"Be it better you had died than where you are now. Your soul is torn in two. One burns for darkness, the other burns for light. You have chosen Snoke…the darkness. I am the light side of your soul and I have come here for payment. You will pay for what you allowed to happen young Ben Solo, but not with your life. A lesson shall I teach you, and if you can realize what you've lost perhaps the darkness will not truly win."

"It wasn't my fault!" He screamed, as if he heard nothing she had said.

"You are unworthy of all that you have been given!" the woman said to the boy kneeling at her feet.

"Please," he begged. "I can do better. I can be better."

The beautiful enchantress stared at the boy, his body shaking from fear. His soul had been changed, blackened by Snoke, and if he continued down the path he was on he would destroy the entire planet. She could not let that happen.

"You were given the Light and the Darkness, yet you chose only darkness. It bleeds from your pores like a virus. Everyone that has come in contact with you has suffered. I will put an end to it!"

"Give me another chance, I beg of you. I can change!" He screamed, his arms outstretched to the beautiful woman.

"You will not change. The darkness has it's claws in you. But…"

The boy's face rose to the woman, a hope igniting in his eyes. They stared at one another, as if the woman needed time to choose her words wisely.

"You do not know what it means to love, but if you can learn to love another, and earn that person's love in return, everything that you have will be restored back to you. It will not be easy, for she must learn to look past the darkness and accept the man within. Love will heal the darkness, will heal your fractured soul. Everything that has been lost to you will be made whole again."

"I will see to it that it happens," he said, his arrogance still showing.

The enchantress smiled, no warmth within her features. She raised her arms above her head and a light began to grow. She took the ball of light between her hands. "You cannot force someone to love you, fool. That is no love at all. Your looks can not save you in this. Your handsome face will be marred to the point that people will turn away in shock and horror. Your body will be scarred with all of the horrible deeds you have done. Anyone that looks upon you will scream in fear and flee. But, I will allow one thing to remain. Your eyes. They will be the gateway to your soul, your true soul."

The boy bowed his head, reaching for the woman's feet. He would beg, plead, anything to stop this from happening. When he looked up, light bathed down upon him with such fire and intensity he screamed. The flesh of his face split open in three places. One, down his left temple to his neck. Another, down his right temple to his neck. The third split right between his eyes and down his nose, clipping the side of his mouth and disappearing down his chin. A searing pain shot through his body as hundreds of gashes opened up upon his skin.

Ben screamed in agony as he fell face-first onto the cold floor. His screams echoed off the walls of his castle touching the servants standing wide-eyed and watching. They joined his screams with their own as their bodies began to change. Where once men, women and children stood there were only house hold items. A clock. A candle stick. A broom. A dresser. Cups and dishes. Yet, the screams did not fade.

"Your house will be punished, for they turned a blind eye to the darkness within you. You, who was once the most handsome will now be seen only as the monster you are inside. To remind you of your sins, when the clock strikes midnight each night your wounds will open and you will feel the pain you have caused so many. For one hour you will feel nothing but agony. The darkness within your soul will be unleashed upon you to torment."

The enchantress pulled out a single rose and held it above Ben's head. Tears streaked across his marred cheeks as he looked upon the rose's beauty. "You have until the last pedal falls to find the one who can love you despite the darkness. You have until the last pedal falls to learn what it is to love and be loved in return. If you do not, you will be doomed to live this existence forever. The Beast. The pain. You will condemn your servants to live as they are. I condemn you Ben Solo, and the darkness within you, but with this rose comes a chance of forgiveness. Do not waste this chance. Find the light within you."

Suddenly, the woman burst into light. Ben covered his eyes, moaning in pain and fear. When the light died away, the people of the castle were alone again. They were left to become used to their new, twisted lives. Where once laughter and beauty existed, there was only darkness and sadness. Ben retreated from them all, locking himself in the room he kept the rose. He had placed it in a glass jar and there he would sit for hours at a time just staring at its beauty, a beauty he had lost within himself. He clothed himself all in black, and he hid his face behind a hideous mask. He vowed to never let another soul look upon his ugliness.

He refused to allow anyone to call him Ben Solo, for Ben had died the night Snoke had entered his life. He had murdered him, along with his parents, leaving him a soulless monster. He had given himself a new name, a new identity, and forced his people to call him Kylo Ren. That name suited the monster better.

The years passed by bringing with it nothing but pain and sorrow for the inhabitants of Solo Castle. The people from the towns of Jakku forgot about the once wondrous castle. Their minds were wiped of its existence and the people within. They went about their lives with blinders in front of their eyes, yet some swore they could hear screams coming from somewhere in the distance.

They talked of a part of Jakku that was haunted. Parents told tales of ghouls and ghosts to scare their kids from ever going to the farthest part of Jakku. And it worked. No one ever disturbed the castle. When someone would get close, they would feel an overwhelming sense of fear and flee the area. Solo castle was in a world of its own, frozen in time, with no one who would come knocking on its door. And it would stay that way for ten years, until one fateful night a girl would end up at their doorstep, and would make a deal with a monster to save the one she loved.

Could she be the answer that Kylo so desperately needed? How could she, for who could ever learn to love a beast.


	2. Chapter 2

Stars. Millions of specks of light sprinkled around the night's sky. Rey Kenobi stared up at the night's masterpiece, sighing. She dreamed of touching just one speck, to feel the warmth from one of those star. They winked at her, as if saying her time would come.

When she looked away from the stars, to her surroundings, she saw her reality. A wasteland of nothing but dust and sand. Jakku, how she wished she could fly far from this place, but she knew she could not. She was needed here. He needed her.

She could hear him rummaging through their makeshift home in one of the many caves of Jakku. Her grandfather, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had been the only family she had ever known. Her parents had died in the old war and her grandfather had taken her in at the age of six months. Though, their life was not ideal she had grown up a happy child. Obi-Wan had loved her unconditionally. She was the link to the daughter he had lost.

The years had grown harder on both of them as the food supply of Jakku had run low. Everyone was on rations, but those rations came at a price. Nothing was handed out for free. Obi-Wan had reached the age where he could no longer support them, and the burden had fallen upon Rey. She dared not complain, for Obi-Wan had given all he had to her. It was now her turn to repay him, though she felt he received the raw end of the deal.

Rey's stomach growled, a reminder she had not eaten today, nor would she eat tonight. She was a scavenger, and the supplies she had turned in that day had given her only enough rations for one of them. Obi-Wan needed it more than she did. She could hold out for another day. She stood to her feet, knocking off the dirt on her pants. The night's sky received one final look from Rey before she entered the tiny cave.

Her grandfather was tinkering with his latest invention. His callused hands shook with the effort of his work. He was always making things from the junk the Lenders refused to buy from Rey. She would bring them home and Obi-Wan would see the use in them. They had a way to cook their rations instead of eating them raw due to his bright ideas. She sat down beside him, watching him work.

"I think this may be the one," he said, a smile dancing across his lips.

He always thought that about the things he created. More times than not he was wrong, but Rey did not have the heart to tell him that. Instead, she picked up a piece of junk and began to help him. His love of created something from junk had rubbed off on her. She had always enjoyed making things with him. She could fix anything with the right parts. He had taught nothing was useless. Even the smallest things he could mold and change into something priceless.

Her stomach growled causing both of them to stop. She felt his eyes turn to her, as if he could read her thoughts. Obi-Wan turned back to his creation, and Rey thought she was in the clear, but he spoke.

"I thought you had eaten your rations, Rey."

"I did. I ate while you were napping. The leftover rations are yours."

She said the words too quickly, for she felt tears prickle her eyes. She was starving, but she hated lying to him above anything. If he knew she had not eaten all day he would refuse the rations. At his age, he needed them more than she did. Rey forced herself to meet his wise, old eyes and smile. He studied her, no doubt searching for the lie, but he said not a word.

"I promise, Rey, this is the one," he said, pointing to his creation. "I have a feeling this will change both of our lives for the better. Then, you can stop scavenging."

"I don't mind scavenging, Grandfather," she said, truthfully. It gave her time to herself, time for her imagination to run wild. She envisioned a new life where she was rich beyond understanding. She could forget the burdens placed upon her, if only for a moment.

"But, I do mind. You should not have to be working your fingers to the bone to take care of us. That is my job. You should be happy. Married, with a family of your own."

"I am happy," she answered, taking his frail hand in hers. "I do not need to be married to find happiness, Grandfather."

"There is not one out there that catches your eye, child? Before I leave this world I want to know you are taken care of."

"I take care of myself," she said, winking.

Obi-Wan smiled, winking back. "Then, I have taught you well."

The truth of it was she was lonely, that was true, but she never felt she needed a man to take care of her. She was eighteen, unmarried, and looked upon as odd because she had no husband. She knew what the townsfolk said about her behind her back. She was as odd as her Grandfather Old Ben. Rey wanted love. She wanted someone who saw the strength within her, wanted someone to see her worth. She was no damsel in need of saving.

She used the rations to cook her grandfather dinner. The entire time she fought through the tears. She was so hungry, but she reminded herself he needed the food more. She laid his plate of food beside him and walked back outside.

The moment the night air hit her she released her tears. They came fast this night, running down her hot cheeks. She stared at the stars she would never touch, allowing her sorrows to take over. She cried for the pain in her empty stomach. She cried for the parents she never knew. She cried for the lonely, isolated life she and her grandfather lived. She cried for the future and a time she would be truly alone when her frail grandfather left this world.

Rey bit her lip to keep the sound of her sobs at bay. She rubbed her cheeks raw to get rid them of the tear stains. Each night was the same. She could hide in the light of day, but when the night came her burdens devoured her. The darkness ate away at her soul.

After an hour of crying, she was finally able to calm her tears. It had grown quiet in the cave, which meant her grandfather was asleep. She needed to be asleep as well, for she had to be up before the sun to get the good items for their rations. She could not go another night without eating. Rey climbed to her feet and turned to enter her cave, but a sound in the distance stopped her.

She froze, barely breathing, as she listened for the sound again. Slowly, she turned, looking into the darkness towards the outer reaches of Jakku. She had heard the stories, like every other kid, of the ghosts that lived in that part of Jakku. She waited, but all she heard was silence. Just as she was giving up on hearing anything again the sound came again.

An agonizing scream.

Rey felt the sound hit her in the chest, causing her heart to skip a beat. Whatever was making such a sound was in pain. Excruciating pain. All of her worries and burdens faded from her mind, and she felt a sudden sadness for the poor creature who gave the night it's pain.

She sat back down, her eyes staring harder into the blackness. She could not see a thing, but a part of her felt she could possibly bring the creature some comfort with her presence. She stayed, staring, for an hour as the screams continued, until finally the darkness grew silent again. The scream echoed in her mind as she climbed in her cold bed and closed her eyes to sleep.

"Half a day's rations."

Rey's eyes widened at the Lender's words. "That carburetor was worth two days rations just yesterday!" she said, angry.

She had spent most of her day at the wreckage of an old TIE fighter with only two hours sleep. When she found the carburetor she felt like crying. It was as if she had hit the jackpot. It was unthinkable that it would have not been snatched up already, and now she knew why it had not. In just a day the carburetor had lost its value. It was not unheard of, it just has never happened to her before now.

"Please, I need those rations," Rey whispered. Obi-Wan was leaving today on his journey to show his creation off to potential buyers. He would need a day's rations at least.

The Lender looked her up and down, his purple tongue licking his lips slowly. "I have a…small business on the side. You would be a great asset, and it would assure that you would have rations to your heart's content. Someone would pay a fine price for you."

Rey took a step back, bumping into the person behind her. She ignored their grumblings and sneered at the Lender. She knew exactly what the Lender was implying and it made her sick to her stomach. It made her sick, for she feared that she would become so hungry she would consider his offer.

"I will take the half-rations," she said, her mouth as dry as the sand under her feet. The Lender laughed as he passes the rations to Rey.

She would figure something out. The half-rations had to go with her grandfather. If what his gut told him about his creation came true she would never need to worry about going hungry again. She could go another day without food. At this point, she did not have a choice. Rey allowed her sorrows and darkened mood to drown her, until her home came into view.

Obi-Wan was just finishing up the last of his things for the trip when Rey arrived. She watches him as he talked softly to himself, going over his checklist so he would not forget anything. She smiled at the old man, her love for him draining the sorrow and dark mood away.

"All set?" she asked, surprising him.

He turned towards her with a start, smiling. "I think so. Oh, wait…" he said, disappearing into the cave. A few moments later he walked out, followed by his trusted droid R2-D2. The droid would accompany him on the journey, although Rey felt it should be her going instead. They had discussed it in length, and after almost two hours Rey relented. A part of her knew she needed to stay and scavenge just in case Obi-Wan's deal fell through.

Rey handed her grandfather the half-rations. "It seems carburetors lost their value yesterday. I'm sorry, Grandfather."

Obi-Wan pushed the half-rations back towards her, shaking his hand. "You keep them. I will think of something."

"Absolutely not! There is nothing edible between here and where you're going. I would not sleep a wink knowing you had nothing to eat. I got up early this morning just to give this to you!"

"Rey…"

"No. It is not up for discussion," she said, forcing the half-rations back into his hands. Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around his granddaughter.

"What would I do without you?" He whispered.

Rey squeezed her eyes closed as she held her grandfather tightly. Why did it feel like a goodbye? Why did she feel like she would never see him again?

"Just, hurry back, okay?"

Obi-Wan kissed her lightly on the forehead before he got in the contraption he called a speeder. R-2 sat behind him, his bleeps and bloops signaling his readiness. Rey laid her hand on top of the droids head, smiling. She had always loved the droid.

"Take care of him, do you understand?" she said. R-2 Replied with several bleeps in answer. "Remember to send me a signal if anything goes wrong. I'll be on my way." Again, she received bleeps in answer.

"Nothing will go wrong, child. I will be gone only for a day. Wish me luck."

"You do not need it. Your creation is wonderful."

"Our creation," he corrected.

Rey gave her grandfather a final hug and watched him until the distance swallowed him from view. Now, she had only to wait. Either they were set for life, or she would have to work even harder to feed them. She walked into their cave, the silence deafening. Only the growl of her stomach interrupted the silence. She laid down, ignoring everything but the urge to sleep.

Hours later, after the sun disappeared, Rey awoke to a strange sound. At first, she could not place it. She stood to her feet and looked around her small cave, all the while trying to place the sound, but when she saw the red light blinking she felt her world spin.

"R-2's panic tracker," she breathed, fearful. It was the signal he used when they were in danger. Rey ran towards it, grabbing it. It pulsed and blinked in her hand causing her heart to beat harder. Her grandfather was in trouble.

Rey grabbed her cape, throwing it over her shoulders as she ran from the cave. She gave no thoughts to supplies. All she knew was that she had to get to Obi-Wan as fast as she could. With the tracker in her hand she jumped in her speeder and zoomed out into the darkness.

Miles and miles she went, headed straight towards the outer reaches of Jakku. She had no time for fear, so she pushed it aside and pushed the speeder to go faster. It seemed the closer she came to the area no one traveled to the darkness around her became thicker. Her heart beat harder. Her fear rose to new heights, but the determination to reach her grandfather outweighed it all. She would fight the darkness for him.

Up ahead of her she saw something begin to take shape. At first, she assumed it was just some sort of rock formation, but as she drew closer she realized it was a castle. She had no idea a castle was this far out. Rey slowed, her eyes growing wide at what she was seeing. Only the pulsing alarm of the tracking growing louder could penetrate her fear. There was something about the castle that made her want to turn back and never return.

She drove her speeder towards a large, black iron fence. It looked old and worn, as if no one had taken care of it in years, but she had no problems pushing it open. It moaned with every movement making her wince. The lawn of the castle was in worse shape than the fence. The grass grew to her chest, the bushes even higher. The darkness did nothing to help this place look harmless. Shadows danced around her, large and ominous. The castle was bathed in black, it's hard stones reaching towards the sky.

Rey ran towards the door, grabbing the handle. To her surprise it was unlocked. She pushed the door open, wincing again as another moan interrupted the quiet night. A large foyer awaited her. She took slow steps inside, looking around for the owner of the castle, yet she saw nothing but cobwebs and shadows.

"H—Hello?" she said, her voice barely working. There was no answer.

With a deep sigh, Rey walked completely into the foyer. She slowly circled, taking in all she could see in the dim light. Grey. Nothing but grey everywhere she looked. Below her, she walked on a grey and black rug. Large grey sheets hung from the walls covering whatever was underneath them. The only light she had was a single candelabra. She walked towards it and picked it up, studying the odd object. It had a face upon it with its eyes closed. She looked closer, swearing she had never seen a sculpture look so real.

Rey held the light out before her, not knowing where to go. No one had answered her when she called, so perhaps the owners were gone.

"Steps ahead."

Rey squealed as a soft voice spoke. She turned, hurriedly, in circles looking in every direction, yet there was no one. She had heard something, she knew. It had spoken about some steps ahead of her. Slowly, she walked until she saw some steps. Again, she looked around making sure no one was hiding in the darkness. She saw nothing. The voice had sounded so close.

Rey took the steps slowly, holding the light out before her. The stairs swirled and swirled, sending her deep down below. Right before she made her mind up that there was no end, she saw the stairs straighten and she found herself looking down a long hallway. What she saw on each side of her made her gasp. Two rows of cells lining the long hallways greeted her.

"G—Grandfather?" she called, her voice shaking.

"Rey!"

She heard his voice float to her from one of the cells at the end of the hallway. She ran towards him, her eyes wide in fear. Obi-Wan leaned against the bars of his cell, his eyes wide and pained. Rey fell to her knees, tears springing to her eyes. When she grabbed the door to the cell it did not budge. She tried harder, crying out in frustration.

"How? What happened, Grandfather?"

"L—listen to me, you must leave this place at once," he said, his fingers reaching through the bar for her. Rey grabbed them, gasping at how cold he felt.

"I am not leaving until I get you out of here."

"No!" He cried. "You must leave. He will be back!"

"Who? Who did this to you?" Rey demanded, feeling anger.

"Listen to me, Rey, you will do as I say this instant. H—he is a monster. Please, go. Go now while you can."

Rey was shocked at the fear in her grandfather's voice. His body shook in fear and cold. She could not leave him in this cell no matter what he said…or who awaited her. She had to get him out, otherwise he would die this very night.

"I will go and find something to break the door. Just…" she started, but her words faded.

Rey felt his presence before he spoke. Her entire body reacted to it in a second. He was behind her, watching. "Here is another who has come to steal from me."

A low, deep robotic voice washed over her from somewhere in the shadows. Slowly, she turned to look behind her expecting to see some monster, but all she saw was the darkness. She rose to her feet, turning fully towards where she had heard the voice. She could hear him breathing, could feel his eyes scrutinizing her.

"What monster locks an old man in a cold cell?" she asked, her body shaking.

"The kind that does not appreciate a thief!" the robotic voice answered.

"I—I am sorry! I was hungry and cold. The food had been sitting out for a while. I did…did not think I was doing any harm," Obi-Wan cried.

"It was not your to take!" the robotic voice yelled, causing Rey to jump.

"Please, sir, whatever harm my grandfather did he did not mean to do it. Please, find it in your heart to forgive him and let him go. We will leave this place and never return," Rey begged.

"A wrong has been done to me and I require payment. He will stay in that cell and rot!"

"You will force him to die over cold food?" Rey yelled back, her anger taking over.

There was a long pause, and Rey began to hope, but the stranger's next words caused a cold hand to creep up her spine. "Yes."

Rey turned towards Obi-Wan, her eyes looking for any weaknesses in the cell. There was none. Her grandfather was trapped, cold and dying. A horrible helplessness fell upon her causing tears to well up in her eyes. What could she do to save him? She met Obi-Wan's eyes and he must have seen her thoughts before she understood what she was thinking. His eyes grew wide, his head shaking furiously.

"No," he whispered.

"It will all be okay," she whispered back, squeezing his fingers. She ignored his cries as she turned back to the stranger in the shadows. "What if we make a deal?"

"What deal?" He asked, angered.

"If you allow my grandfather to go free I will stay in his place as your prisoner. I will pay his debt."

"Rey! No!" Obi-Wan yelled.

The stranger did not answer for several moments, as if thinking it over. "You will stay in his place?" He finally asked.

"Yes. If you allow him to go free and unharmed. I—I will stay with you," Rey whispered.

"I accept," the stranger said, without hesitation.

"Come into the light and let me see you," Rey said.

As the seconds passed, Rey wondered if the stranger would give her what she wanted. She slowly held the candelabra out before her, waiting. Suddenly, a black shoe came into view bringing with it a black-clad leg. Her eyes moved up the strangers long body, which was dressed all in black as well. The stranger stopped short of showing his face. Rey would have to step closer to see the rest.

One foot, and then another, until finally his face came into view. The stranger wore a hideous mask, which made Rey scream and jump back, only coming to a stop when her back hit the cell. Again, the stranger disappeared into shadow. Rey covered her mouth to stop the scream.

"Do you still want to take his place?" the stranger sneered.

The stranger's voice was angry, yet there was something else underneath the surface. She could have sworn she heard sadness as well.

"Rey, please, get out while you can," Obi-Wan begged.

"We have a deal," she said, instead.

The stranger moved with swift action, coming towards the cell. Rey dropped the candelabra as she tried to move from his grasps, but he was too fast. He grabbed her arm, jerking the cell door open. She had no time to prepare as he threw her inside the cell and grabbed her grandfather. Rey fell to her hands and knees scrapping her palms.

"Rey!" her grandfather screamed.

Rey turned just in time to watch the stranger slam the cell door closed, locking her inside. He drug Obi-Wan down the long hallway as the the older man fought.

"Wait!" she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I did not get to say goodbye!" she threw her hand out of the cell towards her grandfather. His hands outstretched to her as well, yet the divide between them was as far as two sides of an ocean. Rey could do nothing but beg the stranger to bring him back. The stranger denied her, slamming the door and leaving her in darkness.

"Come back!" she yelled, until her voice no longer worked.


	3. Chapter 3

Kylo dragged the man through the halls of his castle. The old man was strong for his age as he fought to get back to the girl. The girl. Kylo had yet to process that there was a girl in is grasps after all these years. For a moment, hope burst within the walls of his heart that there could be a chance the spell would finally be broken, but the darkness within him set in and squelched out the light of hope.

With his anger boiling over he threw the man from his castle. He watched him tumble down the steps and hit the sand. Moans poured from the man's mouth, but he stumbled to his feet as if he would charge back into the castle. Kylo stood to his full height, bringing his light saber from his pocket. The darkness around them lit up in red as the weapon hummed with power. The old man stopped his advancements, his eyes trained to the light saber.

"You will leave this place and never return. The girl made her choice and the deal is final. If you try and take her away I will kill you both. If you tell anyone what happened here tonight, and they come after the girl, I will kill her."

"I will get her back," the old man vowed.

"Do not try my patience. I do not give idol threats. If she means anything to you, you will heed this warning. Leave!" He said, low and deadly.

"She is all that I have," the man said, tears forming in his eyes. "She is the only family I have left."

Kylo stood his ground, refusing to give in to the man's emotional pleas. The girl belonged to him now. There was no turning back, no changing of his mind, no matter how much the man begged. A part of him, somewhere deep inside his soul, remembered what it was like to have a family. He remembered what it was like to belong to someone. He remembered what it was like to lose them. He was doing to this man what had been done to him.

"It does not matter. The girl made a deal," a voice whispered in his mind.

Kylo held his light saber up for the man to look upon it. "First, I will take her hands and arms. Then, I will cut off her legs while she begs and screams for mercy. Her pretty little head will be the last thing I remove, and as she dies I will tell her it is your fault, because you did not heed my warning. This is your last chance. Leave this place. Leave and never return here again, or she will die!"

The old man took one small step backwards followed by another. Kylo stood his ground long after the old man disappeared into the night. Something told him that would not be the last time the two came face to face.

He walked back in the castle, but instead of heading back to the girl, Kylo walked into his study and began to pace. The anger from before eased as uncertainty reared its ugly head. What was his next step? How did he go about allowing someone to live in his castle? Would he keep her locked up in the cell? Would he give her a room? Was she a prisoner, or was she free to roam? No, she definitely was not free to roam…not to certain rooms, anyway.

Kylo grabbed his mask and pulled it from his face, allowing his skin to be kissed by the air. How long had it been since he had been from underneath the mask? He could not remember. His long hair tumbled down his back in a crumpled mess. It had been years since he had even dragged a comb through it. The once beautiful black hair was now dull and tangled. He had hidden all the mirrors behind grey blankets, so that when he walked the halls he would not have to look upon his beastly form.

"Master Ren, may we speak with you?"

Kylo was so caught up in his thoughts that he had not heard his servants enter. He watched their distorted bodies scrape across the floor. An insane part of him wanted to laugh every time he saw a teapot walk across his floor, but he reminded himself they were in this mess because of him. The laughter would die easily in his throat.

"What?" he said, angered. He grabbed his mask and placed it back over his face. He could not even stand for his servants to see him.

"What are you going to…I—I mean, what is your wish f—for the…girl?"

Kylo stared at the talking clock for several seconds, not knowing how to respond. The truth was, he had no idea. He had not gotten that far in his plan yet.

"What Finn is trying to ask is should we prepare a room or send blankets and pillows down to the cell?"

"Who are you, again?" Kylo asked, for he had never taken the time to learn what each servant had become. The one talking to him now had been the candelabra the girl had been holding earlier.

"Poe, sir. Poe Dameron." The candelabra bowed.

"Poe," he said, pointing towards the candelabra. "Finn," he said, pointing towards the clock. "And, you?" He asked the duster standing beside Finn.

"Rose, sir."

"Fine. Finn, Poe and Rose, it is your job to keep an eye on the girl." He began to pace back and forth, his mind running in circles. The servants waited, as if they expected more.

"Out of my way," he heard a familiar voice say, as she entered the room. This person he knew all too well. She had been the only one in ten years that ever tried talking to him. He admired her courage, which was the only reason why she was not in pieces. The others moved aside as a teapot made her way into the room. Kylo folded his arms across his chest, knowing this would not go well.

"Do you know the girl is hurt? That is what happens when you shove her across stone!" said, Maz Kanata.

"So," Kylo answered, simply. Maz sighed, which oddly made Kylo feel somewhat guilty. "Fine, send someone to clean it up."

"The girl cannot stay in the cells. She will be dead in a day. Would it not be better to give her a room? If she is to stay here forever you might as well make it comfortable for her. Sir, this could be the one."

Kylo scoffed and turned away from Maz. He refused to allow himself to believe there was hope to break the dark curse. Even with a girl underneath his roof she would never be able to see past the Beast he had become. He would not get his hopes up only for them to be shattered. Hopelessness had been his friend for far too long.

"She will snoop, and if she finds the rose…"

"She will not. Finn, Poe and Rose will make sure of it." He heard grumbling behind him. It seemed the three were not happy with their new duties.

"Fine, fix her a room in the West wing far from my private quarters. She will not have to be a prisoner here as long as she follows my rules. The first time she breaks them I will throw her back in the cell!"

"Good. Now, go tell her," Maz said.

"Me?" Kylo shot back. "You are my servants and you will do it!" He commanded.

"This is your deal with the girl. You will do it, and you will introduce yourself to her and make her feel welcomed this time."

"I will not!" Kylo yelled.

The servants cowered at his outburst, everyone but Maz Kanata. She smiled, turning to the others. "Come, let us prepare a room for the girl."

He watched his servants leave with a scowl upon his face none of them could see. He really should kick the teapot against the wall. Instead, he left the room and headed towards the cells. He knew every step, every turn, without so much as a flicker of light. He had to slow his steps once he got close. Kylo did not want to make the girl think he was eager to return to her.

He stood in the darkness and watched her. She huddled against the far wall, her chin resting upon her knees. He could hear her crying, and the last slither of humanity within him felt a pull to stop her from crying. He ignored that small voice in his head. He would not show this girl compassion. Compassion was weakness, and he was no longer weak. It was her own fault she was here to begin with. No one forced her to take her grandfather's place. She made that choice willingly.

He watched her shake, noticing how fragile and small she looked. He could crush her with one hand if he wanted. Her hair had come out of her bun and fell down her back and shoulders hiding her face. She swiped angrily at her tears, letting out a small puff of air. Her head shot up in his direction, surprising him. The girl pushed herself further against the wall, her eyes searching the darkness. Could she see him? It was impossible.

"I know you are there," she said, her voice shaking. Maybe she could see him.

Kylo stepped out of the darkness, but allowed her only to see him from the chest down. Her eyes lifted to where she knew his face was, and he saw the anger and hatred burning within her. Her jaw set, her chin raised. The girl was ready for a fight. If a fight is what she wanted he would gladly give it to her.

"Let me see your hands," he commanded, his true voice mixed with a robotic sound.

"I will do no such thing," she spat.

"We can do this one of two ways. You can hold your hands out and let me see the damage, or I can come in there and hold them out myself."

The girl's tough façade fell a fraction, but her anger remained. After several moments of a standoff, the girl reached her shaking hands out for him to inspect her palms. Maz was right. He had hurt her. The skin of her palms were cut open and bleeding. He would not feel bad for the girl, again reminding himself it was her own fault.

"I will have my servants clean and bandage your wounds."

He waited for a thank you from the girl, but only received more silence. Did she not realize he could allow her wounds to fester and kill her? "You're welcome," he spat.

"I did not thank you," she said boldly.

Kylo could feel his anger rising, could feel the darkness within him pushing to come forward. It was close to midnight and he needed to get this girl to her room. His hands balled into fists, his body growing hot.

"You did not even let me say goodbye," she whispered, her lips trembling. Suddenly, the anger vanished. The darkness receded leaving him open for the girl's pain to affect him. He pushed against it, willing his anger to come back.

"No one forced you to take his place. He tried to rob me of my food!"

"He was starving. You will never know what that feeling will drive a person to do. You live in this large castle, and I'm sure you have more food than you need," she said, heatedly.

He walked to the cell, his anger creeping back as her pain gave way to her own anger. He fed off of that anger, thankful for the end of his weak feelings. "Do not presume to think you know a thing about me, Miss."

"I know all that I need to know about you."

Kylo felt the sting of her words deep within him. She would never know anything about him. He stepped into the light showing the girl his mask. He heard the sharp intake of breath, saw the fear in her eyes. It shot across the room and hit him square in the chest. She feared him. That should have brought him satisfaction, but he felt only disappointment. How foolish Maz was to think this girl could be the answer to his prayers. She saw only the Beast he had become.

Kylo took a key from his pocket and unlocked the cell door. Slowly, he opened it for her and walked back into the darkness. The moment he was gone from her site she relaxed causing him to become angry once more. Midnight was almost upon him. He had only a few minutes more.

"We made a deal for you to remain in this castle with me. You can live here as a prisoner in this cell, or you can live here as my guest in one of the rooms designated for you. If you chose to be my guest you will follow my rules. You may roam free and use any part of the castle, except the East wing. That will always be off limits. You will find yourself back in this cell if you so much as step one foot in that direction. All else, every room, is yours to do with what you like. You may roam the lawn, but you are never to leave the premises. There are things beyond my doorstep that would devour your flesh without thought. Is this understood?"

"Will you ever let me leave? My grandfather will die without me. He will starve to death," she said, her words barely audible.

"That is not my problem," he answered, harshly.

He did not miss her flinch, but the anger and darkness was already taking hold. He had to leave before he transformed in front of her. He would not be able to control the darkness from lashing out and ripping her to shreds. Without another word, he hurried away from the cells towards his quarters.

The first slash came across his chest, causing him to stumble, but he caught himself and began to run. Another slash came across his shoulder, and this time he cried out. The pain. The pain was more than he could bare at times. He would never make it to his room on time, for the slashes came faster. One after another after another they tore into his flesh. When the scars upon his face opened Kylo screamed. He could not stop it, for the pain was all he knew. The pain and the darkness.

He stumbled into a vacant room and slammed the door behind him. The door would not keep the screams from sounding throughout the castle, but he had run out of time. It was the girl. She had gotten into his head and had distracted him. For that reason, he had not been able to take the pain. It exploded within him with such fury he scratched at his skin. His pupils dilated to cover the entire whites or his eyes. Wide , black eyes stared at the closed door as Kylo's mind was taken over by the darkness.

He threw his mask from his face, clawed at his clothes until they laid torn beside his shaking body. He crawled upon the floor naked as the day he was born as his many sins ripped through his body. The whole time the hatred and darkness within him grew, until a lust for blood burned his mind.

"Kill her. Kill the girl. It is all her fault," a voice whispered in his mind. He envisioned his hands tightening around her small neck and squeezing until the light went out of her eyes. He could do it so easily. She was no match for him, no match for the Beast that lived within.

"No," he screamed, noticing how he was crawling to the door. Every muscle in his body stretched to the point of breaking. Every vein showed as he wrestled with himself. His black eyes stared at the closed door, wishing for the chance to tear it down and go after the girl.

Fury and rage mixed together to form a symphony of terror inside his mind. The slashes continued to come, one after the other, until he was writhing in pain. Black blood drenched the floor underneath him. On and on it went without a sign of giving up. In his mind he saw all the faces of which he had a hand in their deaths. This part of his punishment was called guilt. His mother and father looked down upon him with saddened looks. Their eyes spoke words their mouths could not. What had become of their son?

Kylo lowered his head, hiding his face on the floor. The guilt was almost as excruciating as the slashes. Would this ever end? An hour felt like an eternity, until finally the pain and darkness let him go. As quickly as it started, the pain left him, but the aftereffects did not wear off so quickly. He could do nothing but lay in his dried blood and sweat for the rest of the night.

Maz entered the room some time later as she always did, and stayed by his side for the rest of the night. He was not sure if his other servants were aware she did this, nor would he ask them. Kylo could only stare at the emptiness around him, barely blinking. Maz began her soft lullaby that she used to sing to him when he was a child after a nightmare. This was the one and only time he allowed his tears to fall. As she sang, Kylo wept for his lost life, for the choices he made that led up to this point. He wept for his parents. Even Maz wept with him. But, even the tears ended at some point, which left him feeling empty and hollow. That was the feeling he liked the best.

When the hollowness crept in he stood to his feet. Slowly, he walked to his room in a daze. He left the tattered clothes and mask on the floor where he threw them. It did not matter. He had more, besides Maz would order the servants to fix what he had destroyed. They always fixed his messes and cleaned his blood. By the afternoon there would be no signs of the struggle he went through when the clock struck midnight.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello! Thanks for reading this story. I see that it's getting hits but no comments. I Would love to hear from you guys as to how you think the story is going. Don't worry I won't bite :) please let me know what you think.**

Rey stared at the open door, dumbfounded. He had just released her and disappeared. Was it a trap? As soon as she walked out of the cell would he be waiting in the dark? There was only one way to find out.

She stood on shaky legs, taking a small step towards freedom. She paused, listening to the silence, yet she heard nothing. When she reached the opened cell door she stopped to listen again. Silence.

Rey took off, running as fast as her tired body would go. She took the steps two at a time to escape the eeriness of the cellar. On the first floor of the castle she leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Searching around her, she had no clue where to go. She tried to remember where the front door was. It had been a straight shot to the stairs.

She hurried down the dark hallway, her eyes looking around the shadows for any sign of the beastly man. It could not be that easy, could it? He would not allow her to escape him without a fight. Was he waiting for her to try and escape to stop her? Rey sped up at this thought. She could see the door ahead, could see her freedom just before her.

Power surged through her aching legs as she held her hand out to grab the door knob. When her fingers slid upon its cool surface a noise rang out above her head that caused her to freeze. A scream echoed all around her, bouncing off the walls and floors. She jerked around, her head raised to the east. The scream came again, more frightening than the last. Someone was hurt. Someone needed her help. She had heard the screams before, but she could not remember where.

Rey turned away from the front door and headed towards the stairs leading to the second floor. Her focus stayed in the direction where she could hear someone moaning. This monster had someone else in the castle, and by the sound of it he was torturing them. She could not leave while another suffered.

She looked around for something to use as a weapon and noticed a clock sitting on a stand by the stairs. It was not her first choice to arm herself, but it was better than nothing. She grabbed the clock and made her way up the stairs.

"You cannot go up there," someone said, making her scream in shock. She turned, raising the clock above her head to strike, but there was no one there.

"Who's there?" she called out.

"Above you," the voice said.

Rey's head shot up, looking towards the high ceiling, but she saw nothing.

"In your hand." Slowly, Rey turned her wide eyes towards the clock. Two eyes, a nose and a smiling face awaited her. "Hello," the clock said.

Rey dropped the clock with a gasp. It bounced down the stairs and landed face down on the marble floor. She covered her mouth to keep herself from screaming again as the clock rolled over and jumped to its feet.

"Nice going, Finn. Why do you not just scare the poor girl to death?" came another voice.

A candelabra bounced across the floor towards the clock. Rey felt her legs give out, and she sat down before she fell. She watched the strange creatures interact in confused silence. They had to be droids, though she had never seen droids in the shape of household objects before.

"The girl was headed towards the Master's quarters. I had to do something," said the clock.

The candelabra and clock turned to her at the same time, both wearing smiles. Rey could not help the bubble of laughter that worked it's way out of her throat. They looked so strange, yet so adorable.

"Hello," Rey said, softly. I'm Rey."

The candelabra jumped up the stairs, reaching up for her hand. She giggled, but allowed the creature to take her hand. His tiny lips kissed her knuckles, a feeling as soft as a feather.

"It is very nice to meet you, Rey. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Poe, and the clock you dropped down the stairs is Finn."

Finn hopped up the stairs, standing beside Poe as the three studied one another in admiration. Rey reached down, wanting to pick the clock up, but she hesitated.

"May I?" she asked.

Finn looked unsure at first, but he finally nodded his head. Rey picked him up, being more gentle than before. She brought him close to her face, looking over every inch of him. He was solid, dark wood with exquisite drawings upon his face that represented numbers. She searched for nails or anything to show how the clock was made, but it's entire body was intact and void of any marks.

"How in the world?" she whispered, to herself.

"Wait for me!"

Rey looked up just in time to see a duster coming up the stairs. She heard the clock sigh, and when she noticed Finn's face she saw how taken he was with the duster. Rey bit her lip to keep from giggling.

"Hello," Rey said, to the duster.

"Do you mind putting down my boyfriend?" the duster replied.

At first, Rey did not move, but looked at the duster in confusion. "Rose, be nice," the clock said.

Was the duster named Rose calling the clock named Finn her boyfriend?

"Okay, put my boyfriend down…please," Rose said.

Rey did as the duster asked, her mouth hanging open as she took in all three of the strange creatures. They were peculiar, yet wondrous.

"Who made you?" she asked, awed. "My gr—grandfather would love you."

The very thought of Obi-Wan cut a hole through her chest. Had that beast done harm to him? She had to get out of here and get back to her grandfather. Rey stood to her feet, walking down the stairs and to the door. The three creatures protested, scrambling to reach her before she made it out the door.

"Wait!" Poe yelled.

"Stop her," Finn added.

Again, as if the very touch of her hand on the door caused the person upstairs physical harm, she heard another scream. As with the last time, it made her stop and listen.

"Please, Rey. You cannot leave. It is after midnight and you would be in grave danger if you tried to get back to your grandfather," Rose said.

"You would never make it. There are things in the darkness on this side of a Jakku that mean to do you harm. Stay with us for tonight, and in the morning perhaps our master will change his mind.

"He is a monster," Rey whispered, her emotions running overload. None of them objected. "See, you do not deny it. Who does he have up there and what is he doing to them?"

"There is no one up there but our master…Kylo Ren," came another voice. A teapot walked from the shadows, her face looking up at the sounds of the moans. "It is he that makes the noises." She wobbled her way up the stairs as the four of them watched her. She spoke of this Kylo with such sadness in her voice. How could anyone speak so softly about him?

So, the screams belonged to him? Did that change her thoughts on helping the one in pain? He had caused her more pain in the short time she had been here than anyone else in her life. No, it did not change her mind. No matter how evil, how cruel he was, no one should suffer as he was.

"Rey, please stay with us," Finn pleaded, his voice so soft.

She turned to look at the door, her way to freedom, and back towards Finn, Poe and Rose. Her eyes slowly looked up into the direction where the man suffered. If she stayed what awaited her here? She had made a deal to save her grandfather. If she tried to escape would this Kylo search for her and kill them both once he found them?

Her hand slowly let go of the door handle. They were right about it being too dangerous to leave at night. She would try again tomorrow when the sun was at its highest. If her grandfather made it home safely he would be okay for one night.

Rey turned back to her three companions, sighing in defeat. "Okay. You are right, it is too dangerous to leave tonight, but I cannot stay here. I must go home."

"Let us not worry about that tonight. You look exhausted. Our master has prepared a room for you. Allow us to show you," the teapot said.

So, it was true that she would not be treated like a prisoner and kept in the cell? When he had told her earlier she was to be his guest she had not believed him. The candelabra, clock and duster made their way up the long staircase to the second floor. Rey followed behind them, her eyes trained to the east. She could still hear Kylo moaning in agony.

When she made it to the top of the stairs she hesitated. The darkness descended upon her as she listened to the silence. A part of her wanted to go and check on the man, though he deserved none of her help. Still, his screams had affected her, and knowing it was actually him and not some poor soul he held prisoner did not change her wanting to help.

"You cannot help him, Rey. He must battle those demons alone."

She met the sad eyes of Poe as he looked down the hallway to the east. All three of them looked in that direction with sadness. They pitied Kylo.

"This way," Rose said, moving them along.

Rey entered a room larger than her entire cave. Her eyes grew wide at the extravagance that surrounded her. The black, marble floors shined with newness. The walls were covered in light colors of pink and yellow, giving the room a look of sunshine. Dark wooden dressers lined the wall, all of them opened and filled with clothing of designs she had never seen before. In the furthest corner sat something she had never had before. A large four poster bed. Upon it lay a thick purple comforter. She walked towards the bed in a daze, and pressed down upon the mattress. It was the softest thing she had ever touched.

Rey sat down, closing her eyes and feeling the weight upon her shoulders disappear. She was so tired, had been tired for years. The ground had been her bed for as long as she could remember, giving her no comfort, yet this bed screamed of comfort the moment she sat down. She felt ashamed, ashamed that she loved the feeling. She felt ashamed that for the first time in years she could sleep a full night. There should have been nothing about this place that brought her comfort, yet this bed did just that.

"You do not like it?" Rose asked, worried.

Rey opened her eyes, realizing she was crying. "It is wonderful," she whispered, through the tears. "I should not find it so wonderful, though."

"Why not? It is only a bed," Poe added.

Rey shook her head, trying to find a way to explain what she was feeling. The torment her heart was going through.

"It is not a betrayal to your grandfather to find happiness and comfort in this place. Would he not want those things for you?" Finn asked.

"Even if he suffers?" she asked, her tears flowing.

"Even if he suffers he would want you to find some peace with this situation. He would want you to be happy."

"I can never be happy here. Not with that monster," Rey said, swiping at her tears.

"Not all of him has turned dark, child."

Rey looked at the door and watched the teapot wiggle into her room. The voice was deep and wise. The teapot moved with ease as it worked it's way up onto the bed.

"The things he has suffered has been more than one person should have to bear. It has turned him against the light, against the warmth. Do not judge him so harshly, until the time comes where you know the whole truth."

She spoke in riddles, yet gave none of the backstory about Kylo away. She somehow knew if she asked the teapot to explain she would tell her it was not her place to tell that story, so Rey did not bother. Besides, everyone went through hardships. It did not give him a right to be so cruel.

"Let me have a look at you, child. Stand up."

"Maz, she is not a display case," Poe said, rolling his eyes.

"I know that, fool," Maz responded.

Rey stood from the bed and allowed a teapot to scrutinize her, which made her feel foolish. They all watched her without speaking, and she watched them back. All of them had the same look in their eyes. They looked upon her with hope…but why? What did they expect from her?

"She is awfully thin," Maz said, as of Rey was not standing in front of her listening. "When is the last time you had a decent meal?"

Rey bit her lip. It had been years since she had a decent meal. "Two days," she said, keeping it short, so no questions would be thrown her way.

"Well, I say we remedy that. Rose, show our guest to the dining room and have the cook staff prepare her a large meal." Maz turned to Poe and Finn, her face growing serious. "It is almost time. You know what to do."

Poe and Finn gave Rey one last smile before leaving the room and doing as Maz ordered. That just left her and the teapot.

"I know your heart is breaking, child. I see the sorrow in your eyes. What happened here tonight was not fair, but I believe there is good in every situation. You do not believe this, I understand, but Master Ren will take care of you now. There are many layers to that man, but one layer I know exists in him is goodness."

"I do not care," Rey whispered.

Maz hopped down from the bed and made her way towards the door. Before she left, she turned and faced Rey. "Some day, perhaps you may, child. Some day, you may."

She left Rey with those words. How could she ever come to care for a man that took her away from her grandfather? How could she ever come to care for a man who sentenced her to a life she did not want?

An hour later, Rose came to show Rey to the dining room. She entered a large room with a fireplace in the middle and the longest table she had ever seen. Thirty chairs on each side, it stretched on forever. Rey gasped at its size, her eyes slowly moving up and down the wood. Upon the table, covering it from one side to the other were dishes of every size. The many aromas almost knocked Rey to the ground. Her stomach screamed in its hunger, begging her to fill it.

She approached the table as one might approach a deadly animal. There were soups and breads. Meats and cheeses. There was even desserts. She saw colors of pink and green. Red and blue. Rey had no idea where to start. A bubble of laughter grew from her chest and worked it's way out. She could not help it, for what she saw before her was too good to be true. She laughed until tears fell from her eyes.

With a gleeful shout, she grabbed her plate and filled it to the brim with everything she possibly could. She gorged herself on meats she had never tasted. She studied strange cheeses that smelled horrible but tasted of heaven. The bread, oh the bread, was warm and buttery and melted in her mouth. She closed her eyes, a feeling of ecstasy exploding her taste buds. If this moment was a dream, she hoped to never wake.

Rey sat back in her chair, her stomach so full she felt she would explode. Had she ever ate so much food before? She did not think she had. Even after all she ate, the plates sat full. There was no way she could put another thing in her mouth. Rose passed her, a knowing smile on her face.

"What will be done with all this food?" Rey asked.

"It will be thrown away. We do not eat, and Master Ren barely touches food these days. It is alright, though, we have plenty."

Suddenly, her good mood vanished and she felt sick at her stomach. People went hungry every day on Jakku and this man wasted this much food. Why would he not donate it? While she stuffed herself with food, others were dying of starvation. Others like her grandfather.

Rey jumped from the table and ran out of the room. The very sight of the food made her sick and she felt the need to vomit. She found a washroom just in time to empty her stomach. Violent wretches tore through her body. She was helpless to stop it.

"Miss Rey?" Rose said, behind her.

Rey laid down on the floor of the washroom, laying her hot cheek on the cold floor to cool her skin. She closed her eyes and saw her grandfather's face. He looked sick and lonely.

"I am so sorry, grandfather," she whispered.

Rey did not deserve to feel a moment's happiness while he suffered. She must have laid there for hours, for when she pulled herself up off the floor the sun was beginning to rise. She walked towards her room, the weight of her circumstances sitting on her shoulders again. She climbed into the large bed and stared at the wall as sleep refused to take her under.

When voices rose behind her closed door she expected the small creatures to knock. When they did not, she listened to what they were saying. She barely heard them, but she could hear enough.

"Last night was the worse it has been for him." Rey recognized Poe's voice.

"Did you see the blood? How is it possible for him to survive that hour?" Finn responded.

"He has no choice…"

Their words drifted away from the door and away from Rey's prying ears. She assumed that they were talking about Kylo. The thought of that man both angered and intrigued her. He had secrets, that was for sure, but what were they? The memory of his screams caused Rey to shiver. She would find out what happened to him, what he was hiding , and use it to get herself out of this mess. She would do it, even if she had to go to the East wing to find what she wanted to know.


	5. Chapter 5

Three pedals. That was all that was left of the once beautiful full rose. Now, it was just a shell. The bright color within the rose was fading, making it look dull and lifeless. Black pedals lay at its feet, a sign of wasted years.

Kylo stood beside the glass case that held the rose. He gently laid his hand upon the glass. It used to burn with warmth when he touched it. Now, the glass was cool. He closed his eyes, feeling the hopelessness set in. Three rose pedals. Three months left. When the last pedal fell he would remain this monster in pain. His servants would remain in their deformed states all because he embraced the darkness within him.

If he could go back in time he would shake the stupid child he had been. Naive and stupid, he had allowed Snoke to seduce him to the darkness. He had allowed him to corrupt his mind, and by doing so Kylo had lost so much. Kylo thought of the man that had easily manipulated him. Snoke was still out there somewhere. He was surprised he had not been contacted by him all these years. It was as if he was laying in wait. Kylo had as sinking feeling Snoke would be back very soon. And if he did, Kylo would destroy him for the evil he had brought to his life.

It was late in the day when he left the room in the East wing. He had been too weak to leave his bed for the better portion of the day. Now, he felt himself again….angry and in no mood to deal with a specific girl. In fact, he would avoid her at all cost. Anything she needed his servants could provide.

He hurried towards his study, locking himself in the dimly lit room. He poured over numerous papers laying on the small desk before him. He refused to let others keep track of food supply and things needed for the castle. It was the only control he had left. He scrutinized the food list, making sure they could feed an extra mouth. For the first time in years he heard his mother's voice in his head talking about the garden she had planted. She was always fussing over that damn garden, but it helped to keep everyone fed. Starting it again was not such a bad idea. Maybe that was something he could give the girl to do to pass her time in the castle.

Kylo looked up at the clock as it dinged six o'clock sharp. He had been working for three hours, but now he was starving. He walked towards the dining room, but Maz stood in the doorway. If she had hands, he just knew they would be placed on her hips in an angered stance. What had he done now?

"What?" he asked.

"The girl," she huffed.

"What about her," Kylo said, trying to walk around the teapot, but she jumped in his way.

"March yourself up those stairs and invite her to dinner!"

"If she's hungry she will find her way down here."

"Oh, no you don't! Get yourself upstairs now! You know how much I hate those masks you wear. It would be a shame for those masks to suddenly just disappear."

"You wouldn't," he said, angered.

"Try me. Now, get upstairs and be a gentlemen. The girl is scared and home sick, and it wouldn't hurt you to be nice to someone for a change."

Kylo tried to think of a comeback, but he knew Maz would be true to her word. She had wanted him to stop wearing the masks for years, but he could never get comfortable with his hideous face showing.

"I will ask her, but I'm not going to beg," he mumbled. He walked passed the teapot, noticing how wide her smile grew. Maz was setting herself up for disappointment when it came to him and the girl.

He climbed the long staircase to the second floor and walked down the long hallway to the last door on the left. They had placed her as far away from him as she could be, which suited him just fine. The farther she was away from the East wing the better. Kylo stood outside her door for several minutes trying to think of what to say. His gloved knuckles knocked on the door and he waited.

"Who is it?" the girl asked.

"It's time to eat," he said, roughly.

There was silence on the other end of the door for what felt like an eternity. "I am fine right where I am," she shot back.

He could feel his anger rising, for he knew the girl had to be hungry. It was because of him she refused to come out.

"You will come downstairs and eat the food that has been prepared for you!"

"I said I was not hungry. I would rather starve!" He heard anger in her voice, and it caused his own to grow. If she wanted a fight he would give her one.

Kylo grabbed the door handle and twisted. As he suspected it was locked. He beat on the door, three rapid knocks. "You either come down and eat now, or you do not eat at all!" He yelled at her through the door.

"Fine!" she yelled back.

"Fine!" He responded.

Kylo stormed away from the door. His servants had been watching the whole thing, and they jumped from his path as he passed them. He stopped and pointed his finger at each of them.

"If I so much as catch any of you helping her get food I will kill you myself. She either comes down stairs when I tell her to, or she goes hungry! Make sure she understands that."

Kylo took the stairs like a man possessed. He wanted to destroy something just to release the anger within him. The girl was defiant. She did not want to be in his presence and that bothered him more than he was willing to admit.

He entered the dining room, barking orders to have his food brought to him immediately. He sat at the head of the table, staring down at the empty seat at the other end of the table. If the girl wanted to starve so be it. It was not his fault. He was gracious enough to offer her his food, and she threw it back in his face.

His food was placed before him, but he had lost his appetite. He would need to remove his mask to eat, but without the mask he felt vulnerable. This was the first time he had stayed in the dining room for his meal, and his kitchen staff stood silently against the wall waiting on him and his needs.

There were six of them, all huddled together as if they were in a monster's grasp. Their heads were bowed, never looking upon him. He had hired them from the nearby town. They came a few hours a day to cook and clean the kitchens and then they would leave. He tasted their fear of him, but he paid them well.

"Dim the lights," he ordered. It was already dark inside the dining room, but they did as he asked. Kylo blew the candle out that was closest to him. He reached for the mask and slid it off. There were no gasps, no screams of terror from the staff as his face shown.

"Can you see me?" He asked no one in particular.

"N—no, sir," a pudgy little man responded.

Kylo felt satisfied with his answer and began to eat. He was half way through his bowl of hot soup when a sound came from the door. He was surprised to see the girl looking into the dark room. He grabbed his mask, pushing it back on his face. He had had his fill of soup anyway.

"Turn the lights back up for our guest," he commanded.

A soft glow filled the room as the girl looked over at the table. She stole a quick glance at him, but looked away before he could determine her mood. She slowly walked towards the empty plate at the opposite end of the table. Again, he notice how small she looked. She needed food more than she was willing to admit.

The moment the girl sat down the kitchen staff was at her side. They placed a large glass of amber liquid in front of her and a bowl of steaming soup. Kylo watched her look at the workers and give them a small smile.

"Thank you," her soft voice drifted to him.

He sat back in his chair and watched her the entire time she ate. He noticed how her eyes would close with every spoonful of soup she put in her mouth. He knew the look of hunger, and she bled with it. It was in the way she stopped herself from picking the bowl up and drinking the soup in one gulp. It was in the way she devoured the amber liquid and politely asked for more several times.

"Bring her as much as she needs," he said, without thinking. Kylo did not mean to speak the words aloud. They just slipped out. The kitchen staff rushed to do his bidding, knowing full well the massive anger he held within.

As the girl waited for seconds her face slowly rose to meet his. He wanted to run from her stare, from those deep eyes that seem to stare into him. Even from so far away he could see them.

"How is this supposed to work? This deal between us?" she asked him.

"I do not know," he answered truthfully. He had no idea how to interact with another human. It had been years.

"Will you let me go home?" she asked, quietly.

"No." Kylo did not hesitate. The small word poured out of his mouth before he could stop it.

The hope that was present in her face fell suddenly. Her eyes moved from his, leaving him feeling cold. She lowered her head, but not enough to hide the trembling of her lips. She was going to cry, and Kylo realized he did not want her to.

"I will make you a deal," he said, causing her to look back at him. A warmth spread throughout his body catching him off guard. For several moments he could not get the words out.

"Yes?" she asked, hopeful.

He cleared his throat. "Give me three months. If at the end of those three months you still want to leave I will not stop you. But, you must stay here…with me, and end the talks of leaving."

Kylo felt a heaviness on his chest. His mind thought back to the three rose pedals. After those pedals fell there would be no reason for the girl to stay. He would be trapped in this misery for all eternity.

"My grandfather could be dead by then," she said, her voice shaking.

"That cannot be helped. The deal I am proposing is better than what it originally was. I suggest you take it and be happy." The girl flinched at his rough words.

"I have a condition for you, then," she said, after her second bowl of soup. It had been the first words she had spoken since he changed their deal. Surprised, and a little agitated, he nodded his head for her to continue.

"I want you to stop being so cruel to me. If we are to…coexist for three months then we should somehow get along. And…" she stopped, biting her lip. "Your mask scares me. Can you not wear it around me?"

This surprised him, leaving him speechless as he thought over what she had just said. He had never been good with people, and this girl was no exception. She wanted him to remove the mask? That was out of the question. She would run, screaming, from the castle at the sight of his face.

"The mask stays," he said, leaving no room for argument.

"And the other? Could we put aside our anger towards each other and co-exist for the next three months?"

It was not lost on Kylo that the girl had every intentions of leaving once the three months were up. Of course, she would. She would leave him this moment if he allowed it.

"I am not good with people, but I will give you my word that I will try," he said.

He watched her lips twitch until she gave him a small smile. He felt his heart do a flip, which caught him off guard. Far too long had it been that his heart felt dead, yet in one moment he felt it beat against his chest. Kylo shifted in his seat, feeling uncomfortable.

"My name is Rey, by the way."

This caused him to freeze. He stared at her, though she could not see his face. Rey. It reminded him of a ray of sunlight. He felt odd, exposed, although he was completely hidden from her. It became hard to breath underneath the mask.

"Be—Kylo," he responded, clearing his throat. Had he actually almost given her his real name?

"Bekylo?" she asked, confused.

"Just Kylo," he corrected.

She nodded her head, satisfied. "Thank you for the food, Kylo. I am completely stuffed," she said, sighing.

His heart beat against his chest again. Kylo felt completely out if his element to the point his mind stopped working. She was talking, yet her words made no sense to him. He needed to get up and move, to get some distance.

He stood to his feet. "Goodnight, Rey," he said, hurriedly. He walked away from the dining table and out of the room before she could respond. If she spoke to him he would stop just to hear her voice again.

He walked towards his room like a man on a mission. When Kylo was inside he closed the door and paced. He had to pull himself together if he was to ever be able to be in the room with Rey for more than five minutes.

He spent the rest of the night preparing himself for his life to be shared with another human. He had three months…three months to…. To what? She was not the answer to the curse. Kylo would not allow himself to think it. He would give the girl want she wanted, because he had taken her away from her grandfather. And he did not have the strength left to constantly be at war with Rey. He would keep her at arm's length, but would learn to be gentle and kind to her.

Kylo felt his chest grow tight as pain shot through him. His eyes searched the large clock on his nightstand and noticed both hands reaching towards the twelve. He was so tired of the pain, of the darkness. Tonight, he was prepared, unlike the night before.

He removed his clothes and mask, cramming a piece of cloth in his mouth, and slowly fell to his knees. He stretched his arms out and waited for the pain. His eyes looked out of the open window towards the large moon taking up half his view. His eyes widened and changed as the inevitable took hold of him. His sins had come for their payment as they did each and every night. He tried to hold on to something, some kind of good memory to help him through the hour. What came to mind was the small smile upon a girl's lips.

Then, the screams began, but tonight they would remain inside his room.


	6. Chapter 6

She stared at his retreating back as Kylo hurried from the table. She had been in the middle of asking him for a tour of the castle when he left without a word. Had she said something wrong?

Rey sat back in her chair, shaking her head in frustration. She had had no intentions of coming down here to eat, but Poe, Rose and Finn had talked her in to it. They had asked her to try with their master, that maybe her kindness would change his mind and he would let her go. The more she fought him, the more he would stand his ground. They had a point. If she was to get out of this mess, she had to be smart. So, she offered him a truce. She thought it was going well, and he even changed the original deal to three months, but something happened and now she was sitting alone in the darkened room.

Rey sighed, feeling a sense of loneliness creep in. One of the kitchen staff walked up to the table to clear the dishes as she continued to watch the doorway. Was she expecting him to return?

"That is the most I have heard him speak in over three years," said the man picking up her empty bowl.

Rey turned her attention on the short man. He looked to be in his mid-fifties, with a bald head and kind eyes. His words caught her off guard.

"I must have said something wrong."

The man stopped, the dishes juggled in his hands as if he had done this a million times. "No, ma'am. I have never seen him give another person his time or attention. You are doing something right." With that, the man walked towards the kitchen and disappeared.

Rey waited a while longer for Kylo to return, but as the minutes dragged by it was obvious he was gone. She dragged herself from the table, deciding to take the tour of the house on her own. She grabbed a candelabra studying it to see if it was alive. No, this was exactly what it was supposed to be. No surprises here.

She lifted the candelabra out before her and roamed the different rooms on the first floor. Large, richly designed bedrooms. A study with papers covering a small desk. When she came to the stairs leading down to the cells she hurried past it. She had no desire to go down there again.

Rey walked into a large room, larger than any she had ever seen, and slowly circled around to take in the massive view. She could not see the entire room, only where the light touched. She walked further inside the room, and it seemed it went on forever, but the light began to illuminate something ahead of her. She walked towards it and noticed two chairs sitting high above her.

She walked up the stairs towards the chairs, but something caught her eye behind them. Again, with the grey sheets. Why did everything upon the walls of the castle have to be hidden? She grabbed the end of one of the sheets and pulled. It floated down upon her, bringing with it dust and cobwebs. Rey coughed as her eyes traveled to what awaited her on the wall. It was a painting of a man who stood tall and handsome looking down upon her. He was dressed in uniform, with his hands held behind his back. His face looked hard, yet his eyes were kind. Rey went to the other grey sheet and pulled. This time, she avoided the dust and cobwebs.

There was another painting, except this time it was of a woman. A beautiful woman. She was smiling, happy, and Rey had never seen a more beautiful dress than the one the woman wore. Atop her dark hair sat a large tiara. The yellow dress complimented the woman's skin.

Who were these people? Where were these people? The woman wore a tiara, so were they royalty? This must be their castle and Kylo…was he their son?

"Their names were Prince Han and Princess Leia Solo."

Rey jumped at the voice behind her. She turned to see Finn, Poe, Rose and Maz staring up at the paintings. All of them wore the same look. Sadness…loss.

"What happened to them?" she asked, quietly. The room felt like holy ground with the man and woman staring down at them.

"They left us too soon," Rose whispered.

They had died? Rey turned back to the paintings, a feeling of melancholy choking the room. "This is his parents, is it not?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," Maz answered. "They…they died when he was just a boy."

"What happened?" Rey asked.

"That story is not for us to tell. Why don't you put the sheets back and get ready for bed."

Another mystery to go along with the East wing and the owner of this castle. Were their deaths the reason Kylo was so angry? She put the sheets back over the paintings and followed the others out of the room. She wanted to see more of the castle, but they insisted she go to bed. What were they hiding? Why were they adamant about her staying in her room for the rest of the night? She had not yet gone to the East wing, which was her destination all along. Rey planned to wait until they all were asleep and she would sneak out then.

So, she allowed them to escort her to the room and got ready for bed. They all said their goodbyes as she climbed into the large four poster bed. Rey waited in the darkness, listening. She heard nothing. An hour passed, maybe two, and she was out of the bed and dressed again.

Rey opened the door and looked down the hallway. Poe and Finn leaned against each other, their soft snores reaching her ear. Rose and Maz were nowhere to be found. She tip-toed passed their sleeping forms and headed towards the East wing.

She dared not take a candelabra, fearing the light would draw attention. Her hand glided down the wall as she took careful steps. She came to a closed door, but she heard movement behind it. She could have sworn she heard a muffled moan, but she was not sure. Rey hurried past the door and walked further down the hall.

There was a small light ahead that called to her like a beacon in the night. She walked towards it, slowly opening the door. The room was in disarray with furniture fallen over and things littering the floor. She was about to walk away, but something in the far corner of the room caught her eye. It was the source of the light.

She stepped inside, looking around her. It seemed nothing had survived intact as everything laid in ruins. Even the pictures upon the walls were slashed to bits. She walked to one in particular and recognized the man and woman from the large room. There had been someone standing in front of the man, but that part of the picture had been slashed so bad Rey could barely make out a face. She leaned closer, studying the only thing she recognized. The small eyes of a child. They were the same eyes of the woman.

"Kylo," Rey whispered.

Rey's eyes were drawn towards the light again, and she left the badly damaged painting behind. She slowly walked towards the corner of the room and the large stand that held something in a glass case. When she drew closer she noticed it was a rose, or what used to be a rose. She leaned down to take a closer look, realizing the rose only had three pedals. The rest sat in a dead heap at the bottom of the case.

"What in the world?" she whispered.

She took the glass case off of the rose and slowly reached her hand towards it. She had almost grabbed the rose when a thunderous roar sounded behind her.

Rey turned with a shocked scream and came face to face with a dark shape. Suddenly, a red light glowed at the shadow's side illuminating his body. Kylo. He leaned against the wall, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. The glass case fell from Rey's hand, shattering on the floor. The sound bounced around the room, which seemed to anger Kylo more.

"I warned you," he said in a strained voice.

"I—I am sorry," Rey said, moving away from the table. The glass crunched underneath her feet.

"You have no idea what you could have done."

Rey darted towards the door, but Kylo was there. The red light saber in his hands raised above her head and came down upon a wooden stand. She screamed as wooden splinters went flying around her, striking her in the arm.

"I told you to stay far away from this place!" Kylo screamed, slashing the walls around them. The darkness awoke to fury and the color of red. He was going to killer her, of that she was sure. His rage took over and he struck anything that was close to him.

Rey saw an opening when Kylo turned his back to her. She did not hesitate but ran towards the door. She felt his fingers brush her arm, but she moved just in time to dodge him. Out into the darkened hallway she ran at full speed towards the stairs. She took them two at a time almost stumbling several times.

Down on the first floor the front door loomed before her. The deal was off. He had tried to kill her, and if she stayed he would kill her. Finn and Poe were standing before the door begging her to calm down, telling her it was a misunderstanding. No, there was no misunderstanding. Kylo was a monster and he meant to do her harm. Even now, she could still hear him screaming upstairs.

"Get out of my way!" she yelled at them. She did not want to hurt them, but she would do anything to escape the castle.

"Please!" Finn cried, but she did not wait for more words. She grabbed the door and pulled it open, knocking the candelabra and clock from her path.

The night sky awaited her with humidity in the air. She ran down the stairs, past the overgrown lawn and through the black iron gates. Behind her, Kylo's screams interrupted the silence of the night, chasing her into the darkness. Her speeder was not where she last left it, and she had no time to look for it. Kylo would be out the door and after her any second. Rey had one choice. Run.

Straight. Just run straight ahead. Rey could not see more than a few feet ahead of her, and even as the voice in her head reminded her how foolish this was, she could not go back.

Rey had no idea how long she had been running. Her legs screamed in protest as her chest burned with every breath. She had to stop, if only for a moment. She placed her hands on her knees and bent forward taking in delicious breaths. She fell to her knees, her body giving way to its tiredness. How long had it taken her to reach the castle to save her grandfather? Hours? And she was in a speeder. She could not stop, no matter how her body protested.

Rey forced herself back to her aching feet and ran again. She couldn't see what was ahead of her, couldn't see the net laid out, until she tripped into it and it closed around her. She screamed as she fought to free herself, but the more she moved the more tangled she became.

Footsteps approached her, making her grow still. She looked into the darkness seeing shadows approach her. When they drew closer, Rey's eyes grew wide. "Niima Outpost Militia," she whispered. They used to be the law of Jakku, but when the food shortage happened the group turned rogue. They were feared, their reputation of hunting and killing proceeding them. And, now, they had her trapped.

Rey had heard stories of how they preferred flesh to eat over rations. They approached her, their staffs held in their hands. There were eight of them. They wore helmets upon their heads to protect themselves from the sand and dust. Some wore scarfs over their mouths, while others allowed their sharp teeth to be seen.

"What do we have here?" one of them said, poking Rey with his staff.

She tried to move away from their poking and prodding, but she was trapped in place. She looked around for any way out of the net, but it held firm. She was at the mercy of the militia.

"Let's go," the biggest said.

They grabbed the net and dragged her behind them. She felt every bump, every rock, as sand got in her eyes and mouth. The more she fought, the more sand she ingested. Rey had no choice but to relax and allow them to take her. She closed her eyes, begging for help, begging for a way out of this.

They dragged her towards a makeshift campsite where a fire lit up the night's sky. There was something hanging over the fire. Rey wished she had not tried so hard to figure out what it was, for she recognized it to be a person roasting over the fire. The smell of burning flesh caused her to gag.

Three of the militia untangled her from the net and grabbed her roughly to her feet. She fought them until one drove his staff into her stomach. She buckled in on herself, the air knocked from her lungs. The pain was excruciating. They took her towards where the largest of the militia sat. He watched her approach with angered, beady eyes. She was roughly sat down before him as he watched in silence.

"What is a girl doing out in these parts alone?" He finally asked.

She did not answer, which awarded her another hit with the staff across the back. Rey cried out against the pain.

"I got lost heading…heading home," she answered.

"Heading home from where?"

How did she answer that question? Tell them the truth? "I—I was taken from my home, but I escaped," she answered, choosing to lie.

"And, yet, you were caught again. You are not very good at running. Do you know who we are, girl?"

"Yes," she breathed. "The Militia."

"So, you know what we do?" He asked, a smile growing on his lips.

"You hunt…and kill," she answered, her heart beating hard against her chest.

He nodded his head, his smile growing. He was enjoying her fear. "Lucky for you we have our meal for the night. So, you will be our guest for the evening and we will eat you tomorrow."

Everyone around her laughed at his joke. Another prison. Another guest. Rey felt anger surge within her at her freedom being taken away yet again. She reacted to that anger before she had time to think. She kicked her legs out in front of her knocking the table onto the militia leader. When she tried to stand, she felt a staff make contact with the side of her head. Rey fell to the sand, the world around her growing dark.

When she came to, Rey's arms and legs were chained. Her head felt as if it were splitting open, and she could feel something warm running down her face. How long had she been here? How would she get out of this mess? Questions filled her mind as she searched for a way out. Her arms and legs were of no use to her, which left her with no options. She pushed against the chains, but that only resulted in broken skin on her wrists and legs.

"Hey, stop that!"

Rey turned her head and noticed two militia sitting close beside her. Her guards. They turned back to their conversation, ignoring her again. She closed her eyes as the pain in her hand grew. There was no doubt she had a concussion, and she could feel the darkness calling her under again. If she passed out she would not wake up. Rey had to fight. She had to get out of here for her grandfather.

"I—I need to sit up," she said. The very act of talking caused her head to scream.

"You need to shut your mouth!"

They would be of no help, so she would have to do it herself. She dug her heels into the sand, until she found footing and began to push herself up. It took three tries to make her body do what she needed it to, but finally she sat up. The militia men watched her with keen interest, not offering their help.

Rey closed her eyes, fighting against a wave of nausea as the world around her shifted. One of the militia men scooted towards her. His face was inches from her own as he studied her closely.

"You're a pretty little thing," he breathed, his stench gagging her.

"Touch me and I will cut off both of your hands," she seethed.

"We have a fighter on our hands. I like when they fight," he said, pushing his nose into her hair and breathing deeply. She twisted herself away from him as far as she could go. She bit her lip to keep from whimpering.

He pushed her down and climbed on top of her. Rey yelled in protest as he grabbed for her shirt and tried to pull it up. She tried bucking him off, but he did not budge. His companion only laughed as he watched her fight.

The campground exploded into yells and screams, stopping the movements of the man on top of Rey. They all jerked their heads in the direction of where the screams were coming from. Several of the militia men ran past them, their heads looking behind them as if they feared they were being followed.

"What's going on," the man on top of Rey yelled. His question was ignored as the others disappeared into the darkness. He climbed off of Rey and joined his partner. They grabbed their staffs and waited. It seemed the screams were growing closer, and a red light glowed in front of them.

Suddenly, someone rounded the corner, a red light saber at his side. Kylo stood before them, his body wound tight with tension. Rey's eyes grew wide. He had followed her. Someone was running full speed behind Kylo, but he seemed to not be aware of it. They raised their staff in the air, ready to strike.

"Look out!" Rey screamed.

In one fluid motion, Kylo turned around. He twirled his light saber around, swinging it towards the running man. The scene froze as the man's eyes went wide. The staff dropped from his hands as his body tore apart at his stomach. Kylo had cut him clean through. One of Rey's captives dropped his staff and ran, but the other stood his ground. Kylo slowly turned back to the man. He pointed his light saber in their direction.

"She belongs to me," he said, his voice menacing. The robotic sound added to the danger.

The captor was not prepared to give her up, so he readied his staff and charged. This man lasted longer than his fellow militia, but he still died in the end. He landed on the ground missing two hands and his head. She had warned him if he touched her he would lose them. She had been right.

Kylo did not approach Rey, but stared at her for what felt like an eternity. She would not feel guilty about running. He had scared her and she felt she had no choice to leave. Now, she just wanted him to take her back to the castle and away from the Niima Outpost Militia.

He walked towards her, his light saber humming with power. For just a moment she feared he would kill her too. She closed her eyes and waited for the final blow to come, instead she felt her arms go free of the chains. She watched him bring the light saber down upon the chains and free her legs.

"Can you walk?" He asked her. Why did he sound so tired?

"Y—yes," she answered. He reached a glove hand out and helped her to her feet. Together they walked towards his speeder. Rey looked at the carnage around the militia camp. He had killed them all, including the leader, who sat faced down at his table. Rey swallowed the bile rising from her stomach. She turned away from the massacre and walked into the darkness with Kylo.

"Murderer," someone screamed.

Rey and Kylo turned with a start, not realizing someone was still alive. There was a militia man crawling towards them leaving trails of blood behind where his legs once were. He held something in his hands. By the time they realized what the man had it was too late. He raised his blaster towards them, the muzzle pointing straight at Rey.

Suddenly, she was knocked to the ground as Kylo took her place. The man pulled the trigger and hit Kylo in the side. He gasped in pain as he fell to one knee. The man with the blaster collapsed to the ground as death took him. The damage had been done, though, as Kylo grabbed his side. When he raised his glove it was covered in blood.

He fell to the ground, rolling on his back. Blood poured from the wound at his side as he cried out in pain. Rey moved to his side at once, checking his wound. She could see where the blaster had hit him, could see the hole it left.

Rey stood to her feet and ran towards the campsite. She ignored the bodies as she passed them. She turned in every direction, looking for anything to help stop the blood. With shaking hands, she pushed the leader away from the desk and searched the drawers of the table. She found little inside, but she grabbed a thick cloth and ran back to Kylo.

"This is going to hurt," she said, softly.

"Do it!" He said, crying out in pain.

Rey pushed the thick cloth into his wound, wincing as Kylo screamed. It did the job for now, stopping him from bleeding to death. Now, she had to get him on the speeder. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him, but he was too heavy. She yelled in frustration after several attempts that turned out to be fruitless.

"You are going to have to help me…please," she begged.

In that moment it did not matter what had happened before. Kylo had come to save her. He had pushed her out of the way and had taken a blaster to the side for her. She refused to let him die here. He helped as much as he could, which was enough to get him into the speeder. Rey climbed in beside him, checking to make sure he was still breathing. She could see his chest moving, but it was moving slowly.

"Hang on," she whispered. She powered the speeder on and cut through the night as fast as the contraption would take her.

The castle came into view and Rey willed the Speeder to go faster. She ran straight through the black iron fence and stopped just short of hitting the castle.

"Help!" she yelled, to anyone that could hear her.

She heard their voices flowing out of the castle as they made their way towards the speeder.

"What happened?" Maz cried when she saw the state Kylo was in.

"He's been shot. I need to get him inside, but I cannot carry him and he's passed out," Rey answered, tears in her eyes.

"Go and get him. Tell him to come to me this instant," Maz demanded of Poe. The candelabra disappeared as the others waited for his return. Rey was about to ask Maz who she had sent for, but she heard a growl behind her.

She turned and gasped at what awaited her eyes. The largest dog that she had ever seen slowly walked towards her, his teeth bared. He gave several low growls, which caused Rey to back away.

"I do not care how much you hate him you will help us!" Maz said.

The dog growled again, this time longer and louder.

"You know what will happen if he dies. Put your hatred aside for one moment and help us, Chewbacca."

The dog seemed to be thinking over Maz's words. He raised on his hind legs, growing larger before Rey's eyes. She was shocked as she watched the dog walk on two legs towards the speeder and grab Kylo.

"He's been shot in the side," Rey said, watching how rough the dog named Chewbacca was with Kylo. This did not deter the dog from slinging Kylo over his shoulder making the man moan in pain.

She followed them up the stairs towards the East wing. They entered a bedroom that was bare of anything except a bed. Chewbacca laid Kylo on the bed and walked out of the room without another sound. Poe, Finn and Maz climbed in the bed surrounding their master.

"We need to get his mask and shirt off. Rose, go and get the doctor," Maz said.

She watched as their tiny hands struggled to take off his mask and shirt, so she walked up to the bed and pushed them aside.

"Rey, please wait outside," Finn said.

She ignored him, her shaking hands touching Kylo's mask. She felt the sides, until she found what she was looking for. She pressed the small button and felt the mask release its hold. Slowly she raised it from his face. Dark hair was clamped to his wet skin, and she softly pushed it away. Rey was finally face to face with the man behind the mask. His skin was creamy white, all except for the jagged red scars that ran down his face in three places. All this time she thought he was more machine than man underneath, but as she stared she saw he was completely human. Long, full lashes laid across his skin.

Rey pulled herself from the shock of seeing Kylo's face to unbutton his shirt. What she saw underneath made her gasp in shock. Everywhere she looked she saw scars. They burned red like the ones on his face. What on earth had happened to this man?

"Maz?" she said, choked.

"Do not ask me, child, for I cannot tell you," the teapot answered, softly.

Rey removed Kylo's shirt and noticed the scars were everywhere. Whatever had caused the scars must have hurt more than she could imagine. How had he survived such an assault?

"Let me through."

Rey looked behind her to see a coat rack waiting impatiently. "You are the doctor?" she asked, stunned.

"I am. Now, if you will be so kind as to move so I can take care of my patient."

Rey moved from the thing's way, watching with wide eyes as he extended himself to form arms. He grabbed a black bag hanging from his body and went to work on Kylo's wound.

"Come downstairs and I will fix you something to drink," Maz said.

"N—no. I want to stay," Rey responded, walking around the bed, as if she were in a dream. She sat upon the bed, and in a move that surprised all in the room, she took Kylo's hand in hers. She would stay. She would watch as the doctor worked tirelessly to save Kylo's life.


	7. Chapter 7

Kylo felt consciousness pulling him back from the darkness. The last thing he remembered was saving Rey from the militia. They had been walking towards his speeder when they were attacked. One of the militia men had not been dead, and in his hand he had had a blaster. It was pointed towards Rey and Kylo had reacted without even thinking about it. He remembered pushing her out of the way and being shot in the side. After that, he did not remember a thing.

Two things became very apparent in that moment he awoke. One, his right side hurt bad. Two, his left side was warm with some sort of pressure laying on him. He opened his eyes to a dimly lit room. His room. His hand touched his wounded side and he sucked in a breath at the pain. When he turned to his left he froze.

Rey lay asleep beside him. She was curled up in a fetal position against his side, her hand resting on his. He did not move a muscle, did not take one breath. All he could think about was the girl so close to him. It felt…nice.

"She's been by your side the entire time," Maz whispered.

Kylo tore his eyes from Rey to look at the teapot at the foot of the bed. She looked between him and the girl, a smile playing on her lips.

"How long have I been out?" He asked, his voice like rough sandpaper.

"About six hours. You lost a lot of blood, but the doctor said you will be fine."

"She has been here the whole time?" He asked, surprised.

Maz laughed lightly, looking at Rey. "We tried to get her to leave several times, but she would not budge. I went to get her something to drink and came back to find her sleeping beside you. I did not have the heart to wake her."

Kylo laid his head back on the pillow and rubbed his hand across his face. He froze, realizing his face was exposed. "Maz?" he said, his words barely audible.

"She removed your helmet. We had to, Ben," she answered.

"Do not call me that!" He said, harshly.

Kylo slowly sat up, untangling Rey from his side without waking her. Moving caused a wave of pain throughout his body, but he fought against it. His shirt was gone, his scars exposed. She had seen his face and his scars, yet she was still here.

He turned towards the bed, watching her as she slept. She saved his life. "She could have taken the speeder and left me," he whispered.

"What?" Maz asked.

"Nothing," he said, moving away from the bed.

He grabbed a new shirt, gently putting it on as his wound objected. He hissed in pain. The mask lay on the floor beside his feet. He wanted so badly to be free of it, to see the world with his own eyes. He had grown too dependent on the cover it gave him to throw it away. Instead, he slowly bent down and took it in his hands.

"Please." He stopped his movements as Rey spoke behind him. He kept his back to her, not yet ready to knowingly face her. "Do not put it back on."

"Why?" He asked, allowing her to hear his true voice for the first time. "So, you can make fun of my appearance?"

Kylo waited on her to laugh at his scars, but it never came. He felt angry again for reasons he did not understand.

"I would not do that," she whispered.

He swallowed the words on his tongue, words that spoke of how much he wanted to believe her. The words spoke of how just once he wanted to be face to face with another. Instead, he bent his head forward and slid the mask back into place.

"Meet me down stairs. We need to talk," he said, the robotic sound back in his voice. He grabbed his side as he left the room. The pain almost forced him to sit back down, but he allowed it course through him. It made his anger soar, and he needed his anger to face Rey.

He entered his study and lit the candle sitting on his desk. As he waited he thought about what all had happened. The girl had found the rose. He had sensed her presence as he was coming out of the darkness that haunted him at midnight. He had known where she was, and the darkness within him had not quite disappeared. She had no idea what she could have done if she would have touched the rose. He had lost control and she had run. When he realized she was gone he panicked. He had gone after her, finding her with the militia. The thought of them touching her caused him to massacre the entire campsite. Then, he was shot. Rey could have left him there. She could have taken his speeder and left him to die, but she did not. She had gotten him back to the castle and to help. How did he even begin to process that?

"You wanted to see me?"

Kylo turned to meet her stare, noticing the way her eyes kept going to his side.

"Sit," he ordered.

He pointed to a chair across from the one he was going to sit in. Rey slowly walked towards the chair, a look of uncertainty on her face. She did not trust him, which was not a surprise. It was one thing for him to be unconscious. It was another for him to be awake. He sat across from her, the silence choking them both.

"I told you under no circumstances were you to go to the East wing, yet you disobeyed me."

"I just wanted to look around."

"And then you run away from the castle. That is two of my rules broken in one night!"

"You tried to kill me," she shot back. He was surprised at her outburst.

"I did not," he said, but his voice did not sound too convincing. The truth was she has been in danger in his presence. Kylo had not thought of the girl's wellbeing. Nothing matter when the darkness had him.

"You swung a light saber at me!" she said, exasperated.

"I swung the light saber at everything in the room but you," he corrected.

Rey threw her hands up, her frustrations at him growing. "I guess you will blame me for you getting hurt."

"No," he answered. He did not blame her.

This seemed to catch her off guard. He did not blame her for getting hurt. It was either him or Rey, and he did not want her death on his conscious. He had enough blood on his hands.

"Oh," she said, surprised.

Silence settled between them. Several times Kylo tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. It was in the silence he realized his anger was gone. He had started off the conversation with it flowing in his blood, but now it had disappeared.

"T—," he started, but cleared his throat. The words he wanted to say were ones he was not sure he had ever said before. He tried again. "Thank you for saving my life."

Rey's eyes grew wide, but she recovered immediately. "You're welcome. Thank you as well. I can only imagine what would have happened if you had not…"

She did not finish, but the words she did not say hung in the air between them. Kylo felt something stir within him, something possessive.

"Well, see to it that you do not run away again. I may not be able to save you next time."

He did not mean for his words to sound so harsh, but he was not used to having conversations with people. Maz had been his only companion for years, and he even pushed her away most of the time.

"You do not have to be so mean!" she shot back. "It would not hurt you to be polite, you know."

"I do not do polite," Kylo said.

"And, would you please remove that mask," she huffed.

"The mask is not up for discussion."

She scowled at him, which made his lips twitch. "It's a stupid looking mask, anyway," she mumbled.

What happened next had both he and Rey staring wide-eyed at each other. Kylo did something he had not done in years...he laughed. He stood to his feet, needing something to distract him. He did not like what he was feeling, for it would just cause him to be let down in the end.

"Come," he said.

Kylo left the room without seeing if Rey followed him, but he heard her hurrying to catch up with his long strides. He walked through the hallway, passing his servants as he went. He ignored their curious stares and headed for the door.

The sun was high above their heads as he led her around to the side of the castle. He had not realized the lawn had gotten so untidy. There was really no reason for him to care, so why did he care now? They came to a large barren area of the lawn where the soil looked different from the rest of the ground. Kylo stared down at his mother's garden, a sting of guilt assaulting him. The garden had been neglected and looked in bad shape, but maybe Rey could fix it up again.

"This used to be a thriving garden. Perhaps if you want something to do around here you can tend to it once more."

"Really?" she asked, excited.

Again, he felt a stirring deep within him, making him feel odd again. He stole a glance at Rey. She was smiling. Kylo liked it when she smiled, though he would not admit it to anyone.

"Yes, well, we have an extra mouth to feed." The smile fell from her lips and he cursed himself for not thinking before he spoke. "I did not mean it like that."

"No, it's not that. I—I was just thinking about my grandfather." Her eyes grew distant, sad. "We barely made ends meet with our food supply, but as long as he had me I did not let him go hungry. Now…"

Rey did not finish what she was about to say, but she did not have to. Her grandfather would starve to death without her. Kylo turned away from the sadness on her face, yet he could not deny the truth in her words.

"Thank you, Kylo. I would like very much to fix the garden. I—I am quite tired, so I think I w—will go lay down."

She was not fast enough to hide the tears in her eyes. He saw them just as she turned and left him in the garden. For the rest of the day he paced in his study, until finally he could not stand it any longer.

He climbed the stairs to the second floor and walked towards her room. He was about to knock when he heard her crying. His gloved hand dropped to his side as his eyes stared at the door, as if he could look into the room and see her. It affected him more than he wanted to admit.

"Damn," he breathed, for he know what he had to do.

Kylo left instructions with his servants to watch the girl, that he had to take care of some business in town. He had no idea where he was going, but he would find his way. Sure enough, after scaring about three people in town he had directions to his destination. He made one more quick stop before heading off.

The cave was small and nothing special. If it were not for Rey he would never have noticed it's existence. But, here he was in front of her home. He got out of the speeder and walked towards the entrance. Should he just walk in? There was no need to ask that, for the old man was standing in the door staring at him. He looked both angry and shocked.

"You!" He breathed.

"We need to talk," Kylo responded.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan's face grew pale as his eyes closed. "Is she—she…"

"She is fine," he answered.

Relief flooded the old man's face as he turned back inside. He stumbled to his chair, sitting down heavily.

"Thank the gods," Obi-Wan whispered.

Kylo entered behind him, not planning to stay very long. In his hands was a box that he sat at the old man's feet.

"This should be enough for three month. When it runs out I will be back with more."

Obi-Wan reached down and opened the box, his eyes growing wide at what he saw. Kylo heard him take a breath and let it out in shuddered waves. What he had given the man most people in Jakku could only dream of. A three month supply of rations, three meals a day, now belonged to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Kylo turned to leave, for there was nothing that needed to be said. He did not do it for gratitude.

"How is she?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice shaking with emotion.

"She misses you," Kylo answered, his back turned to the man.

Obi-Wan started to cry. "I miss her too," he whispered.

"I have changed the deal. You will have her back in three months."

A pain shot through his chest, but it was not from his wound. It grew exactly where his dead heart sat. He heard Obi-Wan gasp in surprise. The rations were for three months, to tie him over until Rey came home, yet Kylo knew he would never let them starve. He would see to it that they always had enough, both of them.

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked.

Kylo half turned to the old man, watching him. "Why what?" He asked.

"Why give me the rations?"

He could have answered Obi-Wan with several different reasons. He knew what it was like to lose his family. Rey had saved his life when she could have taken his speeder and left him to die. He felt guilty for keeping them apart. None of these reasons were what he gave, though.

"She made me laugh," he said. His words were so soft he was not sure the old man heard him. He did not stick around to find out.

With that, he left Obi-Wan to his rations and headed home.


	8. Chapter 8

The days turned into weeks as Rey settled in to her new life in the castle. It was early morning when she walked outside towards the garden. She decided it was finally time to get to work, asking Finn and Poe if there were any seeds to plant to even get the garden started. She giggled at their excitement as they flew out of the room to gather what she needed.

A half an hour later her hands were wrist deep in rich dirt. She laughed the first time she saw the garden. How in the world would it thrive sitting on top of sand. She guessed she would find out. Maybe it was a magical garden. Perhaps, this very garden is where that strange rose came from.

She plucked weeds out of her way, throwing them over her shoulder in a pile. It felt good to have something to do instead of wallowing in self pity in her room. Kylo had been absent all that morning, which she told herself did not bother her. In reality she could not stop thinking about him.

He was an enigma, a walking contradiction, that confused her. One minute she wanted to run from the castle and never see him again, and the next minute she wanted to know him better. He had scared her enough to make her run, yet he had tracked her down and saved her. Twice. The man had taken a blaster to the side for her. Would a monster do that? Would a man with no feelings risk his life for hers? No, she did not think he would, so what was Kylo's problem? He wanted her to think he was uncaring and cold, yet she swore she saw little rays of light in him. If she had to put up with him for three months she was going to make that light come out of him, otherwise both of them would be miserable. It could even be possible to change his mind again and allow her to see her grandfather.

Rey realized Kylo was like the garden. He just needed a little tender loving care. Rey laughed at this. Okay, maybe he needed a lot more work than the garden, but the idea was still the same. Whatever he threw at her she would kill him with kindness, or at least try to. She would rise to the challenge and show Kylo there was still good in people. Somewhere in his life he had forgotten that.

When she had done all she could to the garden for the day, she raised her face towards the sky feeling the sun shine down upon her. It melted the cold setting inside her soul and renewed her spirit. She could do this, could survive these three months and perhaps gain a friend in return. Her eyes shifted to the castle. It stood high above her, its gloominess trying to block the sun.

"Why does it have to be so dark," she mumbled.

She looked back and forth from the sun to the castle, noticing how every window was closed to the light. She remembered how everything inside the castle was covered. The place needed warmth, light. She scrambled to her feet, wiping her hands on her apron.

Rey took the stairs two at a time and burst through the castle doors. She had an idea she could not shake. With a knowing smile, she went in search for the castle's owner. She searched the kitchen. The dining room. The numerous bedrooms on the first and second floor. She stared at the East wing, biting her lip.

"Hello, Rey. Can I help you with something?"

Rey turned to Maz, her smile growing. "Yes, do you know where Kylo might be?"

"He is in his study," she answered, surprised.

"Thanks," Rey said, happily.

She went back down the stairs, hurrying towards the study. The door was closed and in her happiness she forgot one thing. To knock. Rey barged in, her smile as bright as the sun. Kylo looked up at her as he sat behind his table. She noticed the surprised look on his face…his real face.

Like lightening, he turned from her and grabbed his mask placing it back on his face. "I—I'm sorry," she said, in a rush.

"What is it?" he asked, his words coming out harshly. Her good mood vanished, but she refused to let his anger win. She had made a plan to kill him with kindness.

"You told me I could do anything I wanted with the castle except the East Wing. Does that still apply?"

He turned back to her with that hideous mask in place. She wanted to rip it from his face and stomp on it, but she remained where she was.

"Yes. Everywhere but the East wing is yours to make your own."

Her smile made an appearance again as she clapped her hands excitedly. "Thanks!" she said, leaving the room.

"R—Rey…what exactly are you going to do?" Kylo called, but she was already on her way out the door. "Rey!"

Her first destination was the windows. Large floor to ceiling glass covered by grey curtains. She grabbed both sides of the curtain and yanked them away from each other. Light slid into the hall, chasing the darkness away. She went to the next window and opened it. Dust and cobwebs danced in the light as she continued all the way down the hallway. The castle irrupted into light.

Rey looked down the hall and saw Kylo standing where the light could not touch him. Was he angry with her for what she was doing? His head turned to look at the open windows, tilting slightly as if he had never seen an open window before.

"The castle is too dark," she said, softly.

"The castle is fine the way it is," he answered.

How could she make him understand she needed light, warmth, otherwise she would go mad. Rey walked towards him, holding her hand out for him to take. He did not move, but stared down at her outstretched hand. She huffed and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer to her.

Rey pulled Kylo in front of the window and turned him to face outside. She allowed a few moments to tick by before she spoke.

"Look up and tell me what you see." she said.

His masked face rose towards the sky, but he did not immediately answer her. "Light," he said, quietly.

"What do you feel?" she asked.

"Warmth."

"There is no light in this castle, no warmth. I need both, Kylo, please."

He slowly turned to her, his large form shadowing the light from the window. They stood close to each other and Rey realized how much larger he was compared to her. If he wanted, he could crush her with one hand.

"Just do not paint my castle pink and rainbows," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Another surprise. Another layer of Kylo she peeled back. "Was that a joke you just made, Mr. Ren?" she asked, giggling.

"No. I seriously do not want you to paint my castle pink and rainbows," he answered, yet this time he laughed. She liked his laugh.

"Well, I do not really care for the color pink, and I have never seen a rainbow, so I think you are safe."

"You have never seen a rainbow?" He asked, surprised.

"No, Jakku has never had them. My grandfather used to talk about them all the time. He would tell me how beautiful they were with their different colors."

"You have never seen them in a book?"

"We could not afford books," she answered, biting her lip.

She stared out the window, her heart heavy. She missed Obi-Wan more than she could possibly explain. He was never far from her mind.

"Tell me more about him," Kylo said, low.

Rey turned her surprised eyes towards him. "My grandfather?"

He nodded his head. "I know you miss him. Maybe telling me stories might help."

They walked slowly around the castle. Rey opened every window they passed as she told Kylo story after story about her life with her grandfather. He seemed genuinely interested as he asked several questions. Mostly, he just listened while she talked. By the time every window was opened on the first floor Kylo knew most of her life history.

"Now, may I ask you something," Rey asked.

They reached his study and he motioned for her to join him. She had to tread lightly with her questions, for his body language screamed that he wanted to run.

"I am not good with sharing things about myself," he said.

Rey sat down, but Kylo remained standing. It was just as she thought, he was on the verge of running.

"What is your favorite color?" she asked.

His head tilted, as if he had not expected that question. She smiled to ease his worries.

"Um…I do not know. I have never thought about it. Black, I guess."

Rey looked him up and down, nodding her head in agreement. "That would be my guess as well."

She asked him several other small questions like what his favorite foods were and what his hobbies were. By the time she ran out of small questions he was sitting in front of her. She took that as a good sign, that he was ready for the harder questions.

"I saw the pictures of the man and woman in the large room the other night. Are those your parents?"

Silence. Rey's eyes were fixed on the empty fireplace waiting to see if he would answer her. She wished she could see his face, to gauge his reaction.

"Yes," came his answer, quiet and strained.

The easy atmosphere around them began to shake, as if it were about to crumble. She wanted to ask him more, but she knew Kylo would slither away. They had made good progress today, and she was on dangerous ground. She could feel his tension. It smothered her where she sat.

Rey stood to her feet, finally looking over at Kylo and giving him a soft smile. "May I join you for dinner tonight?"

"I would like that," he said, his voice sounding odd.

Rey knew it was time for her to leave. She had hopefully opened the dam and he would begin to open up to her, but only time would tell.

As she walked from the room she was pleasantly surprised at what a good day it had been. She passed one of the open windows noticing the sun was setting. Rey and Kylo had spent most of the day together…talking. Yes, it had been mostly her, but he seemed interested in what she had to say, and the most surprising part was that it had been his idea. Something had changed between them when he saved her life. It was the tiniest of changes, but it was there. He was still a mystery full of danger, and she still wanted to home, but he was beginning to change in her mind. He was not the monster she thought he was after all.

After a long bath, Rey roamed through the fully stocked closet. She chose a simple tan shirt and black pants. She pulled half of her brown hair in a bun and stared at herself in the full length mirror. Rey did not think she was a beauty. Her eyes were too big for her small head. Her ears stuck out oddly and she thought her teeth were too big. She grumbled as she turned away from the mirror.

Out in the hallway she passed Finn, Poe, Rose and Maz. There smiled were a little too big, which meant something was up. Rey stopped, eyeing the creatures with suspicion.

"What are you four up to?" she asked.

Maz stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with happiness. "Master Kylo would like you to join him in the Great Hall before dinner."

"The Great Hall? Do I know where that is?" Rey asked, embarrassed.

"The room with the paintings," Rose said.

Rey nodded her head. Now she had a name for that large room. "Thank you," she said.

She made her way to the Great Room hearing small footsteps behind her. The four creatures were following her, but why? She hesitated in front of the large doors, her heart pounding against her chest. There was no need to be frightened. Kylo would not harm her. Perhaps he wanted to tell her more about his parents. What better place to do that than in front of their pictures. Yes, that had to be it.

Rey's hands shook as she pushed the large door open. When she entered, she saw nothing but darkness. She turned, looking for Kylo, but she could not see a thing.

"Kylo?" she called.

"Come into the room. Count to twenty and then stop."

His voice bounced off the high walls, but did not give away his location. He wanted her to step into the darkness without a way to see? Why?

"Kylo, I…" she started, but he interrupted her.

"To appreciate the light you must step into the darkness first."

With a deep breath, Rey let go of her fear and counted to twenty. Each step she took was a second, until the last step reached twenty. She reached her hands out before her to see if he was there, but she felt nothing but air. Where was he? Was this some game he was playing with her?

Slowly, a light began to grow before her. It started from the top of the high ceiling and reached towards the ground just in front of her. Suddenly, another light, looking like the first, appeared to her right. Over and over, in every direction, a new light appeared, until she was surrounded by the most beautiful colors she had ever seen. They danced around her, through her, as she turned in every direction. Her eyes grew wide watching the way they moved and glided in and out of the darkness. There were so many she could not count them. She saw colors of blue, red, purple and colors she had never seen before and did not know their names. Rey reached her hand out to feel them, as if the colors were solid. They danced upon her skin causing her to giggle. She had never seen anything so wonderful.

"Now, you have seen a rainbow."

Kylo stood behind her. She turned her smiling face upon him as the rainbows glided across his black robes. They glided across his mask making it look not as hideous as before. He had done all of this for her.

"How?" she breathed, reaching her hand out to the colors again.

"I have my ways," he responded, not explaining anything.

Kylo cut the distance between them. There was so much she wanted to say, so many things going through her mind, but they were so jumbled she could not get them out. Hot tears stung her eyes. One escaped, running down her cheek. Kylo must have seen it, for he froze.

"I did not want to make you cry," he said, uneasy.

"No," she said, wiping at her face and laughing. "They are tears of joy, I assure you. I have never seen anything so beautiful, and it is overwhelming."

"I am pleased you like it," he said, sounding more assured.

Rey was caught by surprise as Kylo reached towards her face. As soft as a feather his gloved thumb wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Suddenly, she could not breath. His touch left goose bumps in its wake causing her stomach to do flips. Was she sick? Never had she felt that before. But, as quickly as his thumb touched her it was gone, and gone, too, was the feeling.

"Dinner has been prepared whenever you are ready," Kylo said, clearing his throat. Rey, again, wished she could see his face. He sounded as if he was as conflicted as she was.

They walked from the room, but she took one more look at the beautiful rainbows. As she watched, they slowly disappeared as the darkness took over again. She missed the lights immediately. Perhaps, she could talk him into bringing them back some other time.

They entered the dining room and she took her place at the end of the table. Kylo hesitated for a moment before walking the length of the long table and taking his seat. Once he sat down he was hidden in shadow. Rey could only see his chest. This made the good feeling she experienced earlier disappear.

"You do not have to hide, you know," she said, softly. She was not sure he had heard her, but his response came to her just as quietly.

"Yes, I do."

"I—I have seen them, you know. The scars. They do not bother me."

A long pause of silence fell upon them. There was no noise, no sound, but the constant hard beat of Rey's heart.

"We are ready for the meal," Kylo said to the kitchen staff. The conversation about the mask was ended. She was not ready to give up, but if she pushed him he would retreat. An idea came to her.

She stood from her seat, walking down the long table towards him. She could not gauge his reaction at her abrupt movement, but he had not objected…yet.

Rey took the seat beside Kylo to his left. When she finally had the courage to look his way his head was turned to her, watching her. She gave him a small smile as she grabbed the napkin in front of her. Without explaining, she wrapped it around her eyes. The darkness surrounded her, but she did not fear it as before.

"What are you doing?" Kylo asked.

"I asked to join you for dinner and you agreed. Our seating arrangements before were not ideal. Now, I feel like I am joining you for dinner like we agreed. Since you refuse to take off that hideous mask I have to cover my eyes. How else will you be able to eat?"

Suddenly, a deep rumble of laughter floated to her ears. It lasted longer than the last time, and Rey could not help but join in.

"Will you even be able to eat without making a mess?" He asked, still laughing.

"Hey, I have you know that I am skilled in the dark. I do not need to see," she answered, faking her anger.

She heard him shift closer, felt his hands upon the sides of her head. He untied the napkin and placed it back on the table. She looked at him confused, until his hands reached for his helmet. Kylo pushed the button on the side and she heard it release. He hesitated, as if he was about to change his mind.

Rey grabbed her spoon and started to eat. She kept her eyes upon the brown bowl in front of her, even as her mind screamed at her to look at him. From the corner of her eye she saw him remove the mask.

"Good," she said, softly.

For the rest of the meal they ate in comfortable silence. She never looked at him fully, never turned her head towards him. Over and over she reminded herself of baby steps. Kylo had taken a huge leap with her tonight, and she would not spoil it.

After he finished eating, Kylo slid the mask back in place. Rey felt a sting of sadness, but she did not say anything. He walked her to her room, bidding her a good night, but she was far from being ready to go to bed.

"We can talk some more if you like," she said, feeling dumb at how her voice sounded desperate.

"Maybe some other time," he answered. "Goodnight, Rey."

"Goodnight," she said, disappearing into her room.

Rey sat in her window looking out into the darkness later that night. The house had grown quiet, for everyone was sleeping…everyone but her. She had just stood up to walk to her bed when a scream pierced the quietness.

Rey ran to her door, tearing it open and looking down the darkened hallway. She waited, listening, but there was nothing. The scream had not been a figment of her imagination. She was sure she had heard it.

Stepping out into the hallway, she took slow steps towards the East wing. She stopped, a war raging in her head about what she should do. When she heard the muffled screams her mind was made up. She ran towards the East wing.

There was a closed door ahead of her, and through that closed door she heard the muffled screams. Perhaps Kylo was having a nightmare. He would not be mad at her for waking him.

She slowly opened the door, and what she found made her gasp. Kylo laid on the floor, his mask and shirt gone. His entire body was covered in bloody scars that oozed black blood.

"K—Kylo?" she whispered.

His head jerked around, his teeth bared to her. Three large gashes in his face bled the same black blood as his back. His pupils were completely black and their fury was directed at her. Before she could react, he grabbed her leg dropping her to the floor. Rey screamed as he climbed on top of her, his hands going to her neck and squeezing. Blood dripped upon her cheeks as she struggled to breathe.

"Master Kylo, No!" Maz shouted behind him, but her words did not stop him. He squeezed harder.

Rey's vision became darkened as unconsciousness approached. This was the monster she feared. This was what he hid under his mask.

"No!" Kylo screamed, pushing himself off of her and towards the corner. She heard him hit the wall hard and fall to the ground. His screams drowned the sounds of her intake of breaths as they both struggled for life.

Rey turned on her stomach, slowly crawling towards the door. His screams followed her as she struggled to her feet and ran down the hall. She slammed her door shut and slid to the ground, her eyes wide and fearful. For the rest of the night she sat at the door, her mind trying to comprehend what had just happened.


	9. Chapter 9

Kylo stood before the rose that represented all that was left of his life. The rose had begun to lean further towards the bottom of the glass case, as if the heaviness of the last three leaves were too much to hold. He watched as one of the three remaining pedals detached itself and floated towards the others. For a moment it sizzled, but it finally succumbed to its fate. It wilted, turned black and died. One month…gone.

A week had passed since the night he had attacked Rey when she had come to his room. He remembered the fear on her face when she saw him on the floor. The darkness within him had wanted to kill her. When his hands had wrapped around her neck the darkness hissed and screamed to watch the light in her eyes go out. He had been aware of everything, but was powerless to stop his actions. Not until she looked him in the eyes. He could have sworn he saw compassion mixed with her fear. How could that be, though? It had given him the strength to take hold and fight the darkness away long enough to free her. She had crawled from the room and ran, and Kylo had not seen her since.

He spent most of his days in his room, or staring at the rose. He barely ate, barely did anything but drown in the sorrow of what he had done. He had almost been responsible for another death. Kylo could not face her, not after what he had done. She would be terrified of him, and that terror would destroy him. He had almost made himself believe he could change. He had almost made himself believe that Rey could be the one. All of that had been taken away that night. He was a dangerous beast, who deserved to be locked up.

The door opened behind him and the familiar clinking sound on the floor floated towards him. Maz had come to see him every day urging him to go and seek Rey out, but he ignored her. He had no desire to see the fear that he knew would be there.

"Please, come downstairs. You have been locked away for too long," Maz said, quietly.

"I am fine where I am," he answered, his eyes staring at the rose.

His face was uncovered, for he did not have the strength to hide, not even from Maz. He laid his hand gently on the glass case as the rose bent more.

"Do you not see that time is running out?" she asked him.

"Yes, I see it!" He yelled, his angered eyes turning on Maz.

The teapot did not flinch away from his anger, but fought back with anger of her own. Kylo felt the tension swim around him, choking him. He and Maz would finally have the fight they had been building up to all these years. He was not so sure he was ready for it.

"You have learned nothing these past years, you foolish boy! You still think it is all about you. A wrong has been done to the girl. Go to her and face her like a man!"

"I am not a man," he answered, turning his back on Maz.

"No, you are not. You are still a boy."

Kylo balled his hands into fists, snuffing out the urge to kick Maz against the wall. The person he was before this happened would have already done it by now, but deep down he loved the old woman, even if she was a thorn in his side. He would never admit it, but she was his voice of reason.

"She does not want to talk to me," Kylo whispered.

"How do you know?"Maz shot back. "She has asked us about your whereabouts every day. She has even gone so far as to apologize for your actions, as if it were her fault."

Kylo slowly turned towards Maz, his face showing his surprise. "She asked about me?"

"Every day. I have heard her crying, you know. She goes to the garden thinking no one can hear her, but I watch from the window. You need to fix this, Ben."

"Do not call me that," he said, grabbing his head.

"That is your name! I know there is a piece of him still inside you. This—this person you have become is not who you truly are. You are Ben Solo not Kylo Ren."

Kylo dropped to his knees, raising his head to look at Maz. Her pity for him shown above her anger. He wanted to believe her, to believe there was still hope for him. The anger and darkness were becoming stronger as each day passed, and he felt the light going out within him.

"I am being torn apart," he confessed. "I want it to end, Maz. I need it to end."

"Then, let the girl in. I do not believe for a second it was a mistake that she came to us. Ben, she is your match. She is your saving grace, but you must first let her inside. You must first allow her to see all of you."

"How," he said, choked.

Maz cut the distance between them, looking him straight in the eye. "You must take a leap of faith and open yourself to her. No more hiding. No more secrets. Let her see the light and the darkness, and if she chooses, let her walk in the darkness with you."

"She deserves more than that," he said, bowing his head.

"That is not up to you to decide! You do not get it do you? You must let go of the power and give it to the girl. She must make the choice to save you, Ben. You have no power in this, for it is not your decision to make. You are so blinded by your pain and anger that you do not see how she is changing you."

Kylo shook his head. He did not feel changed. He still felt trapped by the darkness. "You are wrong, Maz" he said.

"Am I?" she asked, an eyebrow raised. "You went after the girl and saved her, almost killing yourself. You gave her your mother's garden, so that she could feel useful. You showed her the rainbows that she had never seen. You are looking after her father while he is alone. Do you not see the change? These acts of kindness are selfless, Ben. Selflessness leads to the light…leads to love."

Kylo had never thought of his actions as selfless. He did them because he wanted to make her smile, and because she had made him laugh. There was never a thought put into what he did. It always seemed to come naturally.

He wanted Rey to be happy.

His eyes went wide at the last thought. It floated inside his head and caught him off guard. Kylo had never cared about someone's happiness before. Only his own.

"How do I fix this, Maz?"

"For starters, you must stop hiding. Go to her and apologize. Tell her what happens to you at midnight, so she will understand. Tell her everything."

"I cannot tell her everything," he reminded.

"You can up until the part of how the curse is broken. Everything else, she has a right to know if she is to live in this house. If you cannot tell her you must let her go."

His head shot up at her words. Let her go? He still had two months. It was not just that, though. If he were being honest he had grown to like her company. Far too long had he felt lonely, but she had chased away that loneliness.

"She is downstairs in the library,"Maz told him.

The teapot turned and hobbled out of the room, leaving him to his thoughts. He had two choices laid out before him. He could remain in this room of sorrow, or he could step into the light and find the girl. Kylo stood to his feet, grabbing his mask and putting it on.

He found Rey exactly where Maz said she would be. He watched her clean the room, a cloth in her hand wiping the windows. Her back was turned to him, so she did not notice when he stepped inside. His heart beat against his chest so hard he felt it would come clean through his skin.

Rey slowly came to a stop from wiping down the windows as her body grew tense. How did she know he was there before she saw him? She turned to face him, her eyes unsure. The moment he saw her face it was if the sun came from behind the clouds. Seven days it had been since he saw her. She laid the cloth on the table and took a few steps towards him. He could see her nervousness in the way she fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

"Hello," he said, his robotic voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard to his own ears.

"Hi," she said, low.

A long silence swept into the room, chilling him. There was so much he wanted to say, yet he did not know how. He felt a tightness in his chest, a stinging in his eyes. He wanted the pain to stop, and he wanted her to stop it, yet he feared she would turn away from him in disgust.

"I—I," he started, the words getting caught in his throat. "What are you doing in here, anyway? You are my guest, not my maid."

He felt the darkness shoot through him, taking over his words. That was not what he wanted to say, and the look of hurt on Rey's face shot through him.

"Excuse me for trying to help," she mumbled, walking past him.

Kylo had seconds, seconds to stop her. He knew the moment she walked out of that door she was forever shut off to him. Even as the darkness fought him, he shoved it down and took control.

"Wait!" He begged. He heard her footsteps stop, and knew this was his last chance. "I am sorry, Rey," he whispered. "I have wished every day I could take back what happened that night."

"What did happened that night? That—that was not you?" she said, softly.

Again, his throat closed up. He could not answer her, although he wanted to. Tension flowed through his veins causing every muscle in his body to strain. He closed his eyes, feeling as if he would burst. Maz's words floated in his mind, words of trust and faith. Did he even know what those words meant anymore?

"It was me," he answered, so quietly he was not sure she heard.

When he opened his eyes Rey stood before him. Tears glistened in her eyes as the light touched them. He never wanted to see her cry, only smile.

"I do not believe that," she whispered. "You pretend to be this horrible person, but I see the good in you. Something was happening to you that night and I want to know what it was."

Kylo's body shook with the effort to speak. The darkness bound him, forcing him to remain silent. A war raged within him, one that Rey was unaware of. She touched his chest, causing him to take a step back from her. With the darkness so close, he did not trust himself with her that close. She took his actions to mean he was pushing her away. The tears in her eyes freed themselves and ran down her cheek.

"Rey," he said, as if in a prayer.

"I cannot do this anymore. I am so tired of your hot and cold. I am tired of the secrets and feeling trapped in this castle. I do not even understand why you want me here," she cried.

Kylo reached for her, but she stepped out of his way. "No, do not touch me! I am tired of that mask! You hide behind it because you are afraid! I will not look upon it any longer. Stay hidden behind it, because I am done!"

Rey stormed away, leaving the room again. His moment had come. His decision demanded to be made. Kylo grabbed his mask, tearing it away in one quick move and with his own voice he called to the light.

"Please!"

He turned to see if he was too late, but he met the wide eyes of Rey instead. She had never walked to the door, but was waiting right behind him. He turned to her, finally allowing her to see his true form. He allowed her to see the jagged, angry scars upon his once handsome face. He stood bare and vulnerable before her as he had never done another person before.

"This is what I hide beyond the mask. The face of a monster, of a cursed man. Is this what you wanted?" he asked, barely in control.

"Yes," she breathed. There was no fear, no loathing, in her voice. Her eyes were wide in wonder as she took in every inch of him. Kylo was at a loss for words as a soft smile graced her lips. "You have kind eyes."

She took a step towards him, hypnotizing him. Her hand slowly reached towards his face. He wanted to stop her, yet he was so stunned by the fact she had not run screaming from the room at the sight of him. Instead, her fingers softly touched his scars one at a time. The result was immediate. Kylo's eyes slid closed at the feel of another's touch upon his skin. How long had it been? He did not think he had been touched since his mother.

"No, please. Please, look at me," she whispered.

His eyes slowly came open and met her own large brown eyes. He drowned in them, in the kindness she allowed to show. There was no fear, no loathing. There was only kindness.

"There you are," she breathed, as if she found what she was looking for in his eyes. "I knew you were in there."

"How can you look at me like that? Why do I not scare you?" He said, miserable.

"Your scars do not frighten me, Kylo. We all have scars."

"I have done horrible, evil things."

"You can choose to stop."

"There is a darkness within me I cannot control. Look what that darkness did to you that night. I wanted to kill you," he said, begging her to understand.

"But you did not. You were able to free me."

Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her, his mind reeling at what was happening. He clung to Rey, as if he feared the moment he let go he would wake to find this all a dream.

"There is one thing, though," Rey said, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Anything," he breathed.

She laughed lightly, pulling away from him. "You need a haircut."

He laughed, feeling the air around them lighten. "It has been a while," he said, grabbing his matted hair.

"Would you join me for dinner tonight? We can talk then, and please leave the mask in your room. You do not need it anymore."

"Yes," he said, simply.

Her smile grew, lighting up the room. "Good. I am going to go get ready and I will meet you in about an hour. Does that sound okay?"

"Perfect," he answered.

He watched her leave, felt his heart skip when she turned back and gave him one last smile. He was amazed at the extraordinary girl. She had not pushed him for more, allowing the removal of his mask to be enough for now. For the first time he started to believe he could reveal his secrets to Rey and she would not run screaming. It ignited a freedom within him he had never known.

"Maz!" He yelled, knowing the woman was eavesdropping the whole time. What he did not expect was for Finn, Poe and Rose to stumble into the room as well. All four of them had been eavesdropping. It was for the best, for he needed all of their help.

"We have work to do," he said.

"Everything is ready, sir," Maz said, a knowing smile upon her strange face.

"What?" Kylo said, shocked.

"One of these days you will understand that I am wiser than I look. Come, we have a lot to do in a short amount of time."

Kylo followed the teapot towards his room. When he opened the door, he could do nothing but shake his head. A flurry of activity took over the room as his servants scurried about. Maz shooed him into the bathroom for a bath. He scrubbed himself from head to toe, until his pinkish skin stung. He climbed out of the bath wrapping himself in a wool towel and entering his room. The activity had not calmed while he took his bath, but flourished.

"Come and sit," Maz said, pointing to a large chair he had never seen in his room before.

He sat down, dipping into the chair as it came to life. The arms of the chair stretched out and grew fingers. When he looked behind him he came face to face with a wrinkled face.

"Start cutting and I will tell you when to stop," Maz instructed. Kylo was trapped, having no choice but to allow Maz to have a say in his hair cut. "There, that one." Kylo felt his hair shorten with each snip of the scissors. "Get that clump right there."

Thirty minutes later he was standing before the mirror, his eyes wide at what he saw. It was not the scars that drew his attention, but the soft flowing black hair that lay at his shoulders.

"See, I told you that you were still in there somewhere, Ben," Maz said, her voice shaking with raw emotion.

Kylo looked through the mirror behind him. All of his servants had stopped working, their eyes upon him. Maz stood before all of them, her smile larger than ever. The room was so silent, as if the moment was reverent.

"It has been years," he answered, smiling.

For the first time in ten years the darkness within him was silent. The part of him that was Ben took control and a peace washed over him. He walked to his bed, seeing his outfit for the evening. Kylo pulled the white button up shirt over his scarred back, noticing how it allowed some of the scars on his chest to show. He fought against the urge to cover up with his black suit, but then he thought of Rey and decided this was what she deserved. He finished his outfit with black pants and black shoes. The man looking back at him from the mirror was a stranger.

"It is time," Maz announced.

With a quick nod of his head, Kylo left the room and walked down to the first floor. He waited at the base of the stairs, pacing back and forth. Had she changed her mind after some time to think about his scars, and she would refuse to come down? He tried to take a deep breath, but it only made him more nervous. No, he could not do this. He needed the mask.

When he turned to walk back up the stairs he froze. She stood at the top, looking down at him with eyes as wide as his own. She looked stunned…beautiful and stunned. She wore a simple blue dress with her hair flowing down to her shoulders. He had never seen anything more beautiful.

"A—are you leaving already?" she asked, her voice sounding off somehow.

"No, not any time soon," he said, his fears from a moment ago melting away.

He walked up the stairs, holding his arm out for her to take. She gave him a small, shy smile. "Thank you. Maz put me in high heels, and I have been stressing for fifteen minutes about tumbling down the stairs."

Kylo burst out laughing. He had been stressing over his appearance while she had been stressing about falling down the stairs. "At least she did not force you to allow a chair to cut your hair," he said, once they made it to the bottom of the stairs.

Rey stopped them, staring at his hair. "I like it," she said, nodding her head in approval.

"T—thank you," he responded.

"I like the outfit too. Much better than the black," she said, winking.

"The black outfit is not that bad. Remember, black is my favorite color," Kylo responded.

He opened the dining room door as both of them stopped abruptly. "You have got to be kidding me," Kylo said, under his breath.

The entire dining room looked as though someone bought all of the lights of Jakku and hung them all over the walls. Gone was the large table and in its place was a small two seat table. The clean table linen of white with gold trimming stood out under the lights. A single candle burned upon the table where two glasses and plates sat. Subtle had just gone out of the room.

Rey laughed softly beside him, her eyes glancing around the room. "I think they are trying to hint at something," she said.

"Does it bother you?" Kylo asked, concerned.

"No," she said, shaking her head slightly. "I love it."

Pride swelled through him, making him smile. Kylo led Rey towards the table, pulling the seat out for her and sitting down opposite her. As she looked around he stared at her. He felt his breath catch in his throat. She was so beautiful. When their eyes met, he had no desire to look away, no desire to hide.

They ate their meal in comfortable silence, only speaking to ask how the other liked the food. Several times his knee brushed up against hers and his heart pounded in his chest. Was he sick? He never felt such a feeling before.

After dinner they walked the halls towards the Great Hall. When they entered the room he heard Rey gasp. The rainbows were back , for he knew how much she loved them. He walked her to the center of the room, taking a step back to watch her. The look upon her face was shear joy, something he always took for granted. He had everything handed to him, so he never knew the joy Rey felt…until now. Seeing the look upon her face gave him joy. She slowly turned in circles as the colors danced around her.

Kylo stepped into Rey's path as she turned towards him. His arms went around her waist in a perfect fit. He had to keep himself from sighing out loud as her arms wrapped around his neck. He had no idea what he was doing, but he would make a fool of himself just to make her smile more.

There was no music, but that did not stop them from moving in a slow rhythm around the room. The closer she drew to him the closer his face bent down to hers. Was she moving towards him too, or was that his imagination? Their lips were a breath away from one another, and the world stopped around him.

He stopped just short of touching her lips when he felt a sudden chill. Something was wrong. He felt a rush of anger that only signaled the start of the midnight hour, but he still had an hour to go. He had timed things perfectly to avoid her being with him when it happened, but it was happening now… too early.

"Kylo?" she called, worried.

Her voice was light years away. His head burst with pain so strong he fell to his knees bringing Rey down with him. She cried out in surprise when his hands clamped down on her arms. He only had minutes before he was gone.

Kylo pushed himself away from Rey and stumbled to his feet. He ran for the door, her yells following him. He did not make it as the first slashes appeared, ripping into his back. He fell on his stomach, hitting the floor hard. The sound of his fall filled the whole room.

His white shirt turned black with blood, his eyes growing blacker. It made no sense. What was happening? The darkness had come an hour early leaving him at it's mercy. He slowly turned angered eyes towards the girl trapped in the room with the monster inside him.


	10. Chapter 10

Rey watched, wide-eyed, as Kylo slowly turned in her direction. Large black eyes stared at her, hatred and anger pooling inside black orbs. His lips parted, baring rotted teeth to her. The jagged scars upon his face split opened and black blood ran down his face. She had never seen anything so monstrous. He moved like lightening upon his hands and knees, ready to strike at her.

Laughter filled the large room, causing her to shiver. She knew his laugh, yet this was someone else. A deep, menacing rumble exploded from his lips as his body shook. Rey felt her fear begin to choke her, but she forced it down, forced herself to look upon the Beast. This was not Kylo, not the man who had held her so tenderly moments before.

She watched the smile disappear from his face as horror took over. "Run," he whispered. Kylo turned away from her, hiding himself and allowing her an opening to the door. Rey took it, running from the room and into the hallway. Tears blinded her path as she ran down the hall towards the stairs that lead to her room.

She reached the first step and froze. Slowly, she turned back to look at the Great Hall. Her heart hammered hard against her chest, her fear choking her, but she realized she could not abandon him. Something had him trapped. Something was hurting him. She would not be able to look herself in the mirror if she did not do something. A voice in her head reminded her of what happened the last time she stumbled upon him like he was now, but she ignored the voice. She could not allow her fear to win.

Rey took slow steps back towards the Great Hall, running into Finn, Poe, Rose and Maz. Their eyes looked upon her with worry, but she paid them no attention as she passed.

"Rey, no!" Maz called.

"He needs me," she answered, softly.

"There is something else wrong with him. T—This is not the curse," Maz said, her words confusing Rey.

She had no time to ask her to explain, for a hideous roar of laughter floated from inside the room. Again, Rey realized it was not Kylo's laugh. The servants shivered and drew together in a protective stance as the laughter continued.

"Oh my goodness," Maz said, her eyes wide and in shock. The woman knew who the laugh belonged to. "Rey, you must not go in there."

It was too late, for Rey's mind was already made up. She slowly walked into the Great Hall as Maz and the others begged for her to come back. No, to save him she had to step into the darkness. The rainbows were gone, leaving only the darkness.

"Give me strength," she whispered, as she walked completely in the darkness.

The door behind her slammed closed, trapping her inside the darkness. Rey closed her eyes, listening for where Kylo was. To her left she heard him move. She turned in that direction, taking a few steps. The laughter returned, it's deep menacing sound sending chills up her spine.

"So brave," a voice said, mockingly.

Kylo moved, circling around her. She could hear him, feel the wind of his movements. Rey begged to see something, anything, but all she saw was darkness.

"Let—" she tried to speak, but her fear choked her. She thought of his face, his real face. She thought of Kylo's smile and his laugh. She thought of the fear and self loathing in his eyes. He needed her as she had needed him the night she was taken by the militia. He never let fear stop him. Kylo had risked his life for her, and now it was her turn to save him.

"Let. Him. Go," she said, low. She tried to push as much anger in her voice as possible.

More laughter, more movement. "Let him go? I am a part of him, dear girl. I am the darkness he wants, he needs."

"No! He does not need you," Rey spat.

She turned in circles, desperate to see. If she could only let Kylo see her perhaps he would fight whatever held him. Instead, the darkness grew thicker. She froze, feeling Kylo come up behind her. He stood close to her. His breath fanned the back of her neck causing her heart to speed faster.

"I can taste your fear," the voice whispered in her ear. "You think you can save him. There is nothing to save. He is a child of darkness, and I will show him his full potential. I have had control of him since he was a boy. What makes you think you can change him after all this time?"

"Because he wants to change," Rey answered, tears filling her eyes. She slowly turned to the voice, the darkness thick around them. She could not see a thing, but she could hear him breathing. "You have no power here anymore. I will fight for him, fight you and the darkness," she whispered.

There was a shift in the air, an unsettling in the darkness. Her words affected the one holding Kylo. Hope surged within her, hope that she could save him. He circled her, growling and hissing. Yes, she affected his control.

"Stupid girl. I have more power than you could even possibly imagine. If I wanted to I could kill the boy and you in one swift move!"

Rey waited. She closed her eyes once more, the tears slipping down her cheeks. With one deep breath, she calmed her nerves in what she was about to do, and prayed it would work. When Kylo stepped in front of her, her arms shot out to him. She grabbed a handful of his shirt and pushed herself towards him. Long fingernails grabbed her arms, digging into her skin. She sucked in a breath as pain shot through her, but she refused to scream.

"Let go!" the voice screamed. Rey heard a tinge of panic in his voice.

"You have no power here!" she screamed back at him.

Suddenly, she heard the door open and light began to fill the room. Every servant of the castle stormed through the door and circled around her and Kylo. The ones who could held a candle high above their heads chasing away the darkness. The monstrous face appeared before her, yet there was no smile this time. Anger and fear stared at her, his eyes growing wide.

"No," he breathed, slamming his eyes shut.

Rey raised her hands, grabbing his face as his blood mixed with her own and ran down her arm. Kylo's body began to shake underneath her hold, and she realized she was winning.

"Come back to me," she begged, her tears coming faster. "Please, Kylo, come back to me. Come back to the light."

His mouth opened in a silent scream. His teeth changed back to their perfectly white shape. The scars on his face closed up before her eyes. When his eyes opened, she watched the blackness disappear and his eyes clear once more. Kylo stood before her as whatever held him fled from the light.

"R—Rey?" he said, his voice weak.

His body slumped forward and she did not have the strength to hold him up. She staggered to the floor, trying to be as gentle as possible. Kylo's eyes rolled in the back of his head as he passed out.

"Kylo, please look at me," she begged, yet his eyes remained closed.

Maz walked towards her, her eyes wide and unbelieving. "How, child?" she whispered, stunned.

Rey did not understand what she meant. She was not even sure what she had done. All around her the servants stared with large, stunned eyes. Had she hurt him by driving the darkness away? Rey looked back down at Kylo, suddenly fearful. Why had he not woken up?

"Kylo," she said, softly. She shook him, yet he did not respond. "Please, wake up."

"Let him sleep. His body needs to strengthen. His fight is not yet over for the night," Maz said. She looked upon Kylo with sadness and love.

Rey positioned Kylo's head into her lap as gently as she could. She did not care that the servants were watching. After what had happened she needed to be close to him. "C—can someone get me a wet cloth," she asked, barely able to talk over the rawness of her emotions.

A wet cloth was put in her hand and she began to wash the blood from Kylo's face. As she did her tears slid down her face, falling onto his skin. What had happened to him?

"Everyone back to your chores," Maz commanded. "Our work here is done."

Rey continued to wash the blood from Kylo's face as the servants left the room leaving just Maz. It was time for answers.

"What was that?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"That was someone by the name of Snoke. I have not seen him use Ben's body in over 8 years. It worries me to think why he would show himself now," Maz answered, her eyes slowly looking up at Rey.

"Snoke? Who is that?"

She saw Maz hesitate. "You need to leave. It will be midnight soon and the darkness will return."

"He will go through this again?" Rey asked, horrified.

"No, not what you just witnessed. That was something completely different, something far worse. Now, he must go through pain for the choices he has made in his life."

Rey looked back down at Kylo, her head slowly shaking. How could one person endure such things? "What happened to him to cause all of this? What happened to you and the other servants?"

"That is for—"

"No! No more lies and secrets. I just came face to face with a monster and I want to know why!" Rey said, angered.

Maz looked unsure for a moment before sighing. "When Ben was eight years old he met a man named Snoke. Prince and Princess Solo invited this man into their home to help their son, but this man was not here to help. He corrupted Ben's mind, turning him to the darkness. By the time his parents realized what had happened it was too late. The man murdered both of them in front of Ben, which sent him further into the darkness. He became—"

"Lost."

Rey and Maz looked down at Kylo. His eyes were opened and staring at his parents' hidden portraits. He looked empty, tired, as he stared without blinking.

"He told me of strength beyond my wildest desires and I followed him. He murdered my parents in this very room and I just stood and watched."

Kylo's face crumbled as he let out a animalistic cry. Rey tightened her hold on him, not knowing what else to do. She wanted to comfort him, but his cries rose.

"When he was ten, he was cursed to live a life of darkness and pain for turning his back on the light. We were turned into the things we are for allowing him to slip," Maz said, above Kylo's cries.

"A curse?" Rey asked, shocked. "What can we do to break it?"

"Nothing," Kylo answered. "There is nothing we can do."

Maz opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but when she met Kylo's eyes her mouth clamped close. They were still hiding something. Kylo slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and grabbed his head.

"What did he want?" Maz asked.

Kylo shook his head. "I do not know. He did not say a word to me, just held me down while he took control." He got to his feet, staggering. Rey jumped up and stopped him from falling back down. He threw his arm over her neck, leaning his body in to hers. She took his weight as best she could, but she struggled to walk to the door. He towered over her as they walked from the room. His head bent down until his cheek was resting upon her head.

"No, not to my room," he said, his voice strained.

"It is almost midnight," Maz said, worried.

"I know. Take me to the cells."

Rey stopped. She was not going to take him to the cells. "I am not going to lock you up like an animal," she said.

"Yes, you will. I have no strength left in me to fight the darkness tonight. When it comes it will have free reign to do what it wants. There are others in this house I must think about. Please, Rey. Do this for me."

She heard the plea in his voice, the desperation. She turned them towards the cellar and they took the stairs as slowly as possible. He pointed towards the cell across from where her grandfather had been kept.

Kylo untangled himself from Rey and walked into the cell, keeping his back turned to her. "Lock it," he whispered.

Rey did as he said, her hands shaking the entire time. She locked the lock and stepped back. He had turned towards her and watched her work. Now, they stared at each other. She saw the hurt and pain in his eyes, saw the loneliness he felt.

"You do not have to do this. Not here," she said, low.

"I do. Snoke could not touch you, but I can. And I do not know what I am capable of after fighting against Snoke. I would rather die than to hurt you." His voice was sad, and it made the tears reappear in her eyes.

Rey looked around the dark cellar, a chill setting in around them. She shivered, realizing the battle was not over this night.

"Rey, look at me," Kylo whispered. She looked at him. "I need you to leave me. I—I do not want you to see…"

Instead, Rey sat on the dirty floor just outside of his cell. She had battled the darkness once. She would do it again. "I am not going anywhere," she answered, her voice leaving no room for argument.

"This was not the evening I had planned," Kylo said, laughing softly, yet his laughter held no humor.

"It was amazing," she whispered, giving him a small smile.

He opened his mouth to answer, but what came out was a scream instead. Rey watched, horrified, as the scars opened back up on his face. He fell forward tearing his shirt from his body. All over him the scars began to open.

Rey grabbed the bars of his cell, her face crumbling as she watched his torture play out in front of her. Powerless. Or was she? Somehow, she had had the power to help him before. Did she possibly still have that same power?

"Kylo," she called to him.

His head shot up, black eyes staring daggers at her. She remained still, even when he slammed into the bars to get to her. Even as his hand shot out and grabbed her throat, she remained still. The hand upon her throat shook, as if weighing it's options to squeeze. She took advantage.

Rey reached inside the bars and grabbed his face like before. "I am here," she whispered. "I am right here."

The hand holding her neck shook worse as over and over she whispered to Kylo. Slowly, he let go of her neck and slid up her skin towards her cheek. As gentle as a feather he held the side of her face in his hand. Mesmerized, she watched his black eyes turn to normal, watched the pain disappear from his face. The scars upon him slowly closed, leaving behind red skin.

"Rey?" he whispered, confused.

"There you are," she said, smiling through her tears.

Kylo raised his free hand towards his face, his eyes growing wide. The scars were closed, yet it was midnight. He let go of her, scooting away, but the moment she let him go the pain exploded within him. He screamed, falling onto his back. His scars burst open.

"No!" Rey yelled, grabbing at him. He had fallen out of her reach. She was on her feet in a instant. With shaking hands she freed the lock from the door and tore it opened.

She fell to her knees behind him, pulling him into her lap and grabbing his face. "Come back to me," she whispered.

As before, his eyes cleared. His scars closed. She circled her other arm around him, holding him tightly to her chest. His body shook violently, but she held on. Softly she whispered words to him. Rey had no idea what she was saying, but she just talked to him. Mostly she spoke of her childhood in the dessert of Jakku. Anything that popped in her head she spoke it. For the long hour she battled the darkness with him, though something was different about this night. He never screamed, never lashed out.

She peered down at him and noticed his eyes were half open and staring ahead. Sweat ran down his forehead plastering his hair to his face. Rey softly pushed his hair back, a soft sigh leaving his lips. It was finally over.

"Can you stand?" she asked him, softly.

He shook his head no, "No strength."

Sometime later Maz appeared. The teapot looked amazed to see Rey inside the cell with Kylo, as if she could be anymore amazed than what she already was tonight.

"I cannot get him up, Maz. If you would be so kind as to bring pillows and blankets. He is too weak."

Maz disappeared and a while later several of the servants brought blankets and pillows. She gently laid his head on a pillow and threw the large blanket over his shivering form. Rey scooted in behind him. She laid her arm across his chest, pushing herself against his back and holding him tightly. She closed her eyes and began to hum the only lullaby she knew until sleep came and took her under.

When she woke up, her surroundings had changed. She no longer was down in the cellar, but back in her room. How had she gotten here? Rey sat up, her confused eyes looking around, until she saw Kylo sitting in a chair beside her bed. He was watching her, his face unreadable. He looked so tired.

"Hello," she said, quietly.

He leaned forward, taking her hand in his and laying his forehead upon her hand. She waited for him to gather himself enough to speak. Rey needed answers, and she would expect them now.

"When I was a boy I never cared about anyone. All I cared about was me and what I could get. I was spoiled and rotten to the core. My parents could do nothing to help me, though they tried. That is when Snoke came into my life. I was eight, and he showed me what the darkness could do, how powerful it could make me. I thrived in the darkness, giving myself over to hatred and pain. By the time I realized my mistake it was too late."

"He murdered your parents?" Rey asked, softly.

"As I watched," he answered, nodding his head against her hand. "I never tried to help them."

Rey closed her eyes, could only imagine what that was like for him. To watch your parents murdered at such a young age.

"Snoke disappeared that night, and I locked myself away. I turned my back on my duties as Prince and allowed many of my servants to leave or starve. The ones that did stay I lashed out at them, making their lives a living hell. Until, one night an old woman came to my door and demanded an audience with me. I denied her twice, but the third time she forced me to come to her and revealed herself as an enchantress of Light. She demanded payment for my darkness and cursed me to live this life. Every night I have had to atone for my sins and selfish ways."

"At midnight?" Rey asked.

"Yes," he answered, slowly looking up at her. "But, last night was different. I do not know why or how, but you chased the darkness away. There was no pain, no darkness… just peace. There is no way to repay you for that."

She squeezed his hand, giving him a smile. "I do not expect payment. I am glad I helped."

For a while, they stared at each other. Rey felt something growing in her heart for Kylo. It scared her, for she had never felt it before. She needed time to understand it, time to allow it to grow.

"Is there no way to break the curse?" she asked, a while later.

He looked away from her towards her open window. He did not answer her at first, and she suspected he was trying to figure out how to answer. "No," he said. His voice was so soft, so sad.

"Maz said this Snoke took over your body. What did she mean?"

Kylo shook his head, as if to rid himself of some horrible memory. "It has been years since he used his power over me. Not since I was a boy. His thoughts were shielded from me, and he never spoke. It was if he was just wanting to have a look around."

"I do not think he liked me very much," Rey said.

Kylo slowly looked at her, his face hard to read. He was deep in thought, as if what she said made him realize something he was missing. She saw several different emotions running through his dark orbs, but he never explained what he was thinking. Finally, he blinked and looked away.

"Let us not talk about Snoke anymore. I would rather talk about what an amazing person you are," he said, looking back at her.

Rey laughed. "There is nothing amazing about me."

"I beg to differ, ma'am. Tell me how to repay you. Anything you want, it is yours," he said, squeezing her hand.

"Honestly, I do not expect you to pay me back. I will always be there if you need me."

Kylo raised her hand to his lips, his lips touching her knuckles lightly as he kissed her. "For the first time in ten years I felt peace. I will spend the rest of the time I have with you showing you just how much that means to me. Starting today. Get ready. I must leave for a while, but I will return shortly."

Kylo jumped to his feet, an excitement taking over. His face lit up into a gorgeous smile, and she suddenly realized how truly handsome he was. She did not see the scars any longer. She just saw him.

"What are you up to?" she asked, laughing.

"You will see!" He said, winking.

Without another word he left her room, leaving her with more questions. She jumped from her bed and hurried to put her clothes on.

By the time she made it down stairs Kylo was gone. She asked every servant she ran in to where he had went, but none of them knew. She busied herself in the garden as the hours ticked away. When her thoughts floated to Kylo she felt a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Things between them were changing rapidly, and it scared her. At first, he had been cold and unfeeling, but he was changing. And so was she. They were changing together. What she had witnessed last night scared her more than she would admit, but she was willing to fight to save him. Rey would show Kylo he was worth saving, curse and all.

Rey heard his speeder approaching from the other side of the castle. Excitement shot through her at the thought of seeing him again, which surprised her. She stood to her feet, wiping her dirty hands on her apron and walked around to meet him. As she came closer, she heard voices. Someone was with him.

When they came into view, Rey froze. Her eyes grew wide, a gasp leaving her mouth. Tears sprang to her eyes as she covered her mouth in shock.

"G—Grandfather," she cried.

When he heard her voice his head jerked in her direction. Obi-Wan ran towards her, his arms outstretched. Rey let out a small cry, running towards him as well. When they cut the distance to each other Rey jumped into his waiting arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. The man held her tightly to him, his own cries falling from his mouth. How was this possible? Her grandfather was here, alive and well.

Rey opened her eyes and Kylo was there, watching them. He wore a soft smile on his face, and as their eyes met he bowed his head to her. This was his payment for what she had done for him. He brought her grandfather back to her.

"T—t—thank you," she whispered, barely able to get the words out.

"No. Thank you," he whispered back.

She watched him turn and walk into the house. There was no denying it anymore, those feelings in the pit of her stomach. Rey was starting to fall for Kylo Ren.


	11. Chapter 11

Kylo watched Rey and Obi-Wan from the window overlooking the garden. All through the night he had watched her sleep, his mind trying to wrap around the fact she had chased the darkness away. For the first time in ten years the midnight hour had not consumed him.

He had thought of hundreds of ways to try and repay her for what she had done, for she could not fathom the peace she had given him. He had thought of what would make her the most happiest, and her grandfather had come to mind. There were times that Rey did not know he was watching her and he saw her sadness. Sadness he had caused.

"You look well, Rey," Obi-Wan said, touching her face softly.

Kylo could hear them talking from the open window. He thought about walking away, but Rey's words stopped him.

"I am, Grandfather. Kylo is not what we thought he was. There is a kindness within him, a kindness he is beginning to show."

"Are you blushing?" Obi-Wan asked, laughing softly.

She was blushing? Kylo wished he could see her face, but her back was turned to the window.

"N—no," she stuttered.

"Are you happy here?" he asked her.

Kylo held his breath.

"At first… no. I was miserable, and I missed you terribly. Now… I—I… yes," she breathed. "I am happy here, and now you are here and it seems perfect," Rey answered. She wrapped her arms around her grandfather.

"How does it feel to finally love something more than you love yourself?" Maz asked, quietly.

Kylo turned to look at the teapot as the minutes silently ticked away. "Is that what this is? This overpowering urge to protect. Is that what is burning my soul to ash only to repair it once again?"

Maz laughed softly, "That is love. How long have you felt it?"

Kylo thought about it for a moment. In a way, there had always been a pull towards Rey. He had felt it from the moment he saw her. He had tried to ignore it, but it grew with each passing day they spent together. There was a moment, however, when the truth about what he felt came to light, and there was no way to deny them any longer.

"Last night. The moment she pulled me from the darkness. I could not deny my feelings any longer. It was the moment I knew I was no longer bound to the darkness. I was bound to Rey."

Maz walked closer to her, and he knew that if the woman had arms she would wrap them around him. He loved Rey, loved her more than he had loved anything, more than he loved himself. She had come into his life and proved to him that there was still good in him.

"Now, Rey must figure out she loves you as well and the curse will be broken."

"No," Kylo responded. He felt a weight upon his shoulders, heavy and burdensome. Rey would never love him. Care for him, yes, but never love.

"No?" Maz asked, confused. "But, how will…"

"I am letting her go." His words floated towards the high ceilings and came crashing back at them like a storm. Another realization. He could no longer hold her there against her will. He had to let her go, and he knew she would go with her grandfather leaving him behind. The weight upon his shoulders grew heavier.

"While I agree Rey should have freedom to make her own choices, she has never been your prisoner. I dare say if she would have asked to be taken back to her grandfather's any the past few weeks you would have done so without much argument. Setting her free will not stop the path both of you are destined to walk together. Release her if that is your choosing, but tell her how you feel."

"I cannot do that," he whispered. "She deserves someone better than me." He walked towards a chair close to the window. He leaned his elbows on his knees and lowered his head into his hands. The weight upon his shoulders grew heavier. "I have done so many horrible things. She deserves to be with someone who is worthy of her."

"That someone is you, Ben!" Maz said, leaving no room for argument. He wanted to believe her, but his past refused to allow him to believe he was worthy of love.

Maz left him to his depressing thoughts for the rest of the day. He hid himself in his study as Rey gave her father a tour of the castle. He stayed away from her as long as he could, but it was time for dinner. Kylo decided that after dinner he would tell Rey she was free to go. With that settled, he made his way to the dining room.

Rey and Obi-Wan were already seated at the table that now had three chairs. They chatted and smiled at one another not realizing he had entered the room. Kylo watched Rey, watched her smile light up her face. He had made the right choice bringing her grandfather here. And he would make the right choice to send her back home with him. Finally, Rey looked up and he could have sworn her smile grew bigger. He disguised his feelings behind a thick wall in his mind and joined them at the table.

Luckily, Rey and Obi-Wan did most of the talking. He sat there and smiled when he had to. Nodded his head when it was appropriate. Kylo already felt her absence even as she sat right beside him.

"Kylo," she called to him softly.

He looked up from his plate, a lost look on his face. "Yes?" he asked, softly.

"Grandfather was just complimenting the castle."

Kylo turned his haunted eyes to the old man and forced a small smile. "Thank you. It is only a shell of what it once was, though."

"Yes, well, we are changing that," Rey said, proudly. "In just a few weeks the garden will be ready."

"I must thank you for taking care of Rey. You have set my mind at ease, sir," Obi-Wan said, holding his hand out for Kylo to shake.

For a few seconds Kylo did not move. He was stunned by the man's gesture. Had it not been almost two months ago that they were enemies? He reached out and shook Obi-Wan's hand.

The food came and they began to eat. Kylo listened to stories of Rey growing up, and one story in particular caught his attention.

"As you can imagine, I was beside myself with worry. I could not find her anywhere. I searched for an hour until I came upon the Jakku graveyard. She had climbed inside the wreckage of a TIE fighter, because she wanted to reach the stars. She was about five years old, yet her dreams of the stars have never died," Obi-Wan said, smiling softly at Rey.

"I always thought when I got bigger I would be able to touch one," she added, laughing.

Kylo smiled, her laugh infectious. He would miss that sound, miss the way it made him want to join in.

"Excuse me," he said, getting up from his chair and walking out of the room.

He stormed through the castle, running up the stairs to the second floor and going higher. The castle actually had four floors, and he breezed through the third floor without stopping. He rushed through the darkness until he stood at the very top of the castle. From here he could see for miles and miles. Above him, the stars looked as though they were within his reach.

He had no ideas how long he was up there when he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned around Rey stood before him. She looked worried. Kylo could not fake the smile, could not act as though his heart was not breaking.

"What is wrong?" she asked, softly.

He could not answer her, fearing he would burst into tears. Instead, he reached his hand out to her. His heart skipped a beat when she took it instantly. There was no hesitancy in her movements.

Kylo pulled her towards him. "Close your eyes," he whispered. Rey did as he told her. He walked her to the very end of the ledge where the view of the sky was the best. He stood behind her, his hands on each of her arms as he bent down towards her ear. His eyes slammed shut as his emotions sucked him under the tide.

"Look up to the sky and open your eyes," he whispered in her ear.

It only took a moment before her gasp resonated around him. "Kylo… it—it is beautiful."

"I cannot help you touch one, but I can get you closer to them than you have ever been," he said.

The entire sky lit up with large stars. They winked and shown down upon Kylo and Rey as they watched them. Rey reached her hand above her head, laughing with joy.

"I cannot believe how close they look!" she breathed, mesmerized. "I could have only dreamed of being this close to them!"

Rey slowly turned towards him. Kylo noticed how perfect she fit next him. She was so small, and he felt a surge of protectiveness take him by surprise. He would die to keep her safe. Even if that meant being safe from him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. The feeling of her against him both elated and destroyed him.

"There is no way to ever repay you for allowing me to see my grandfather."

He could stand it no longer. Kylo wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him. "You already have," he whispered.

She raised her eyes to his, and he noticed she wanted to say something, but she struggled to get the words out. He gave her a light squeeze to let her know it was okay.

"I was thinking that a—after the three months—well, that is if—if you like, I—I could stay longer. I want to help you break this curse, and… there is s—something I need to figure out. I—if you do not want me to stay… I understand."

"What about your grandfather?" He asked, stunned by what he was hearing.

"Well, if you allow him to he can come visit."

Kylo untangled himself from Rey and stepped away. He ignored the hurt look in her eyes at their break of contact. He needed to have a clear head. Never did he expect her to want to stay with him.

"I cannot keep you here, Rey. This place is no life for someone with such a light within them. If you stay you will be consumed by my world, and I cannot allow another person to lose everything because of me. I brought your grandfather here to take you home." He did not even have the courage to look her in the eyes when he said his words. "You are free of the deal… of me."

Time seemed to slow as silence crushed the air around him. He had done it, had let her go. Now, she just needed to take the steps to free herself from all of this.

"If I am free to choose, I choose to stay here."

"That is not a choice. It is a death sentence," he said, miserable.

She walked around him until she stood just inches from him. Her hands softly touched his chest, sending chills all over his body. He was surrounded by her. Her hands came to his face, gently cradling him in her hands. He had never felt anything so wonderful.

"Give me your darkness. I will give you my light. Somehow, we will find the balance. Do not send me away when I have only just begun to feel something for you," she whispered.

It was all he needed to hear, all that made his world rotate. He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her and crushing his lips to hers.

"Do not be afraid. I feel it, too. Please, let me stay and understand what it is that I am feeling. Do not send me away," she said, against his lips.

"Stay with me," he said, begging.

Kylo picked her up in his arms. He kissed her, hard and fast… a yearning that needed to be satisfied. He walked them through the darkened hallways. He knew his castle like the back of his hand, so he never watched where he walked only choosing to devour Rey's lips. She clung to him as though he was her lifeline. Her hands were in his hair, groping and pulling.

He made it to his room and laid her on the bed. Rey pulled him down on top of her, her lips tasting his lips and jaw. She grabbed his shirt tearing it open. Both of them stopped and laughed as the buttons bounced on the floor. He sat up and took his ruined shirt off. For a moment, he sat and just stared at the beautiful creature smiling back at him. Kylo could not wrap his mind around the fact she wanted him. It was not love, not yet, but if he nurtured the feelings between them Rey could love him. His worries and fears melted away, because she was choosing to stay with him out of her own free will. That had to mean something.

As he bent down to kiss her he felt the unmistakable pain shoot through him. His eyes slammed closed as his mouth opened to scream, but the scream never came. The pain slowly ebbed away, and when he opened his eyes Rey was there. Somewhere in the castle a clock chimed twelve times.

"I have you," she said. Rey slowly kissed the scars on his face, her hands holding his face gently. "I have you."

She did have him. She had his heart. She had his mind. She had his soul. He laid his forehead upon hers, waiting for the hour to let him go. The entire time her voice kept him grounded. Her touch kept him sane. Her lips filled him with the light he desperately needed. Together, they found a balance. For the rest of the night they held each other, until the sun rose and chased the darkness away.

"You can come any time to visit, and I will come see you as well," Rey said, hugging her grandfather. Kylo waited by his speeder as Rey and Obi-Wan said their goodbyes. The goodbyes were different from the first time. This time, there were smiles, for both knew they would see one another again. Kylo had invited Obi-Wan to his castle whenever the man wanted to visit.

"I will come back next week. I will bring R-2. He misses you."

"Please, do. Are you sure you do not want to take any food? We have plenty, especially with the garden almost ready."

"Believe me, I do not need anything, only for you to be happy."

Obi-Wan cut his eyes at Kylo, a look of knowing passing between them. No, the man needed no food. He had made the old man swear he would not tell Rey about the supply of rations. He did not want her to think she owed him.

With one last hug between granddaughter and grandfather, Obi-Wan and Kylo climbed into his speeder. He steered the machine towards the barren dessert and took off.

"I am glad she has you," Obi-Wan said.

Kylo was caught off guard, doing a double take at the man. "Even if I kidnapped her?"

"Well, it would be wise for both of us to forget that, but I see how happy she is. I am not sure I have ever seen her so happy. Whatever you are doing it is working… for the both of you."

Kylo smiled. "It is more of what she is doing."

They rolled over a large hill and something ahead of them caught Kylo's attention. Something large.

"What on earth?" Obi-Wan breathed.

It covered the entire area blocking their way forward. It blocked out the sun causing a large shadow to creep towards them.

"I have never seen a sand storm that large."

Neither had Kylo, and as he continued to stare dread overtook him sending chills down his spine. The air left his lungs as he felt what approached before he saw it. A large aircraft came from behind the sand storm heading right towards them.

"Hold on!" Kylo yelled, over the upturn of wind.

He put the speeder in reverse, turning it as sharply as the contraption would turn. All the while, the shadow crept towards them with the sand storm not far behind. If they were caught in such a storm Kylo was not sure the speeder would survive.

He floored it, begging the speeder to go faster. The sand storm was headed in one direction… his castle. He knew who was in the aircraft and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

The castle came into view, and the blood drained from his face as he saw Rey standing at the edge of the lawn. Her eyes were wide as she watched them being chased.

"Get inside, please," he begged her softly.

The shadow crept up the back of the speeder, up over it and swallowing them whole. They were not going to make it.

"Get down!" Kylo screamed, just as he felt the speeder fishtail.

The sand was upon them, getting into their eyes, nose and mouth. Kylo heard Obi-Wan choke as he sucked in a large amount of sand. He reached behind him, grabbing his mask and pushing it against the man's face. Obi-Wan locked it into place, shielding him from the sand, but nothing could shield them from the sudden impact they took from behind. The speeder flipped on its side and skidded. The last thing Kylo remembered before the world grew dark was that Rey was in grave danger.


	12. Chapter 12

Rey watched them drive away until they were out of her sight. This time she felt a peace with Obi-Wan's departure. She would see him again, and soon. Last night was another breakthrough with her and Kylo. He had set her free, but she did not want to leave. She felt something for him, though she was not sure what it was. She needed time to explore those new feelings. Leaving was not the answer, for it felt she was running away from something.

Kylo had kissed her. She could still feel his full lips upon hers. Rey closed her eyes as she relived last night. There had been a passion between them, a raw power. She had never known such a feeling before. She wanted more… no, needed more. Excitement ran through her at the thought of being with him again tonight.

With her eyes closed she felt the wind rustle through her hair. She raised her face towards the sun, taking a long deep breath. A shadow grew before her closed, causing her to open them slowly. Something was coming towards her in the horizon, something big.

Rey slowly walked to the end of the lawn and looked out over the massive dessert. There was a low rumbling in the distance that made the ground beneath her feet shake slightly. Something formed, something looking like a sandstorm, and running away from that sand storm was Kylo's speeder. They were headed back to her.

"Oh no," Rey breathed, suddenly terrified.

Rey started running towards them, as if she could stop what was happening. A scream erupted from her as she watched the speeder be overtaken by the sandstorm. She skidded to a stop when the sandstorm parted and an aircraft came into view. A large black monster appeared in the sky heading towards the speeder at full speed.

"Nooooo!" she screamed.

The aircraft made contact with Kylo's speeder and sent them into a tailspin. The speeder tipped on its driver's side and skidded from her view, being swallowed whole by the sandstorm. Now, she was in the aircraft's sights.

Rey turned, running as fast as she could back towards the castle. It felt as though her legs were made of heavy metal, felt as if she were tip-toeing along. She forced her fearful eyes to look behind her and gasped when she saw the sandstorm and aircraft still coming. They were gaining ground on her swiftly. From this distance she would not make it into the castle in time.

Something caught her attention from the left side of the castle, something large and hairy. Chewbacca ran towards her, his large legs making his movements swift. Rey made him her destination instead of the castle, for she would never make it in time. The animal lowered his head against the sudden howling of the wind and tore through the air to get to her. At the last second, Rey reached her hands out to him grabbing a handful of the hair upon his head. She slammed her eyes closed as he threw his head back, taking her with him. With the force of the wind and his yank she flew through the air and landed upon his back. Rey clamped hold of the large animal as he made a sudden U-turn and headed towards the castle.

The sandstorm was upon them, and Rey had to hide her face in Chewbacca's hair to keep from inhaling the sand. His head raised towards the sky and he let out a loud, high-pitched screech followed by three short screams. She felt him move from right to left and back again. Rey knew they were in the lawn and almost to safety.

They climbed up the stairs and blew through the open door bringing sand and wind with them. Rey looked up as the servants pushed the front door closed shutting off the enormous sounds from outside.

"The windows, close them!" Maz shouted.

Rey climbed from Chewbacca's back covered in sand, but ran towards the windows and slammed them all shut. All throughout the castle she heard the windows being shut. The castle was bathed in darkness once again. Her curiosity took over as she peered out of the front window. What she saw caused her to whimper. The entire castle was surrounded by the sandstorm, a storm that was not moving away.

"Rey, No!" Finn yelled. "Get away from the window."

She jumped back, as if she had been shocked. Her eyes were wide, her heart pounding against her chest. What on Jakku was that?

"Kylo and my grandfather are out there. They…" She could not finish her sentence.

"We cannot worry about them at the moment. We are all in grave danger. Block The doors, now!" Maz said.

Rey had never heard the fear in her voice before, which caused a shudder to run down her body. The servants knew what was happening. She watched them hurry around her, finding anything they could to block the door.

"Maz, what is going on?" Rey asked.

"You do not want to know," she answered, jumping around the floor to point out things to use for the door. "Rey, hide yourself in your room. Do not come out for any reason."

"Kylo and my grandfather need us! We cannot hide in here!" Rey cried.

"Do as I said, child! Now!" Maz yelled, causing Rey to jump in surprise.

She staggered towards the stairs as something hit the side of the castle causing everyone to lose their balance. Rey hit the floor with a loud shriek. The castle seemed to tilt as Rey and the servants slid across the floor.

"It is too late!" Poe screamed, somewhere behind Rey.

The castle righted itself, causing Rey to hit her head against the wall she now laid against. She had slid the entire room away from the stairs. For a moment she feared she would pass put from the impact her head made, but she pushed through it. Something told her if she passed out now she may not wake up.

Rey used the wall to help her get to her feet. All around her the servants recovered from their spill as well. A sudden bang at the door drew everyone's attention. Over and over the banging sounded making Rey jump every time. The door folded in on itself, until finally it exploded in a cloud of splinters. Screams erupted through the foyer as sand and wind blew into the castle.

Rey and the servants ran for the dining room. She turned to look behind and watched as people shrouded head to toe in red walked into the castle. In their hands they carried long weapons. Just as she disappeared into the dining room a man walked in behind them.

"Rey, grab something to defend yourself," Maz commanded, her voice full of fear.

She grabbed the first thing that was closest to her, which was a plate. Looking down at her weapon, Rey felt a sudden chill run down her spine. It felt as if they were caged birds waiting to be killed. Who were the ones in red and the man with them?

The ones in red walked into the dining room, their faces covered from Rey's eyes. They made two lines, their weapons out before them. Next, the man stepped into the room. He took his time looking around, smirking at the servants. He looked like a normal man, except his face was hard and his blue eyes were filled with malice. Rey felt a dark energy consume the air around her. This man meant to do harm.

When his eyes turned to Rey he smiled, but his smile held no warmth. He raised his hands above his head, and every servant floated in midair. Rey looked around her, stunned and horrified. He casted his hand aside and the servants went flying across the room.

"No!" Rey screamed, as she watched them hit the wall and fall to the floor. None of them moved. She tried to go to them, but she could not move. Her head slowly turned back to the man as his smile widened.

"Hello, there," he said, softly.

An invisible force pushed Rey towards the dining table. She fought against it, but it was too strong. It forced her into the chair, binding her arms to her side. Rey could not move. She watched, wide-eyed, as the man slowly walked towards her. He took the seat at the head of the table placing her to his left, his smile growing.

"L—let me go," she said.

"No, I cannot do that. I just want to have a little chat, that is all."

Rey looked over at the servants. They still had not moved and she feared the worst. "What did you do to them?" she asked.

The man looked over at the servants. He sniffed, as if they were beneath him. "I only made them sleep, although I should put them out of their misery."

"Please, no," Rey begged.

He turned his ice-blue eyes back to Rey, causing her to shiver. "If you behave they will live. Do we have an understanding?" he asked.

Rey nodded her head. Even if she wanted to lash out at the man her hands were held down. She could barely move. He leaned over to her, his face inches from her own. Rey tried to lean away, but she did not go far. His nose touched her cheek and traveled to her hair as he took a long, deep breath.

"W—what do you want?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Hux!" Kylo's scream interrupted the man's answer. She turned to the doorway, hope surging through her. Kylo had survived. She heard the man beside her chuckle as he sat back in his chair.

Kylo stumbled through the door, catching himself on the wall. Blood ran down the side of his face. His shirt was torn and cuts oozed blood down his arms and chest. He pushed himself from the wall only to fall to his knees. He let out a cry of pain as he grabbed his side.

"My, how the mighty do fall," Hux said.

"This is b—between you and me. Let—let her go," Kylo said, getting to his feet.

He staggered towards the table. In one swift move his light saber was in his hands and pointed at Hux's throat. Hux reacted at the same moment, his hand reaching towards Rey. He never touched her, but she felt her throat close up. She gasped, trying to find a way to get air to her lungs, but something stood in her way. Her scared eyes met Kylo. There was raw terror looking back at her from his black orbs.

"Surprised? Believe me, Snoke has taught me many things throughout the years. Would you like me to demonstrate on the girl?"

"No," Kylo whispered, his hand shaking.

"Put away the light saber and sit. I will release the girl when you do. Hurry, though, I may lose my grip and break her pretty little neck."

Kylo removed the saber from the man's neck. He sat down heavily on Rey's right. She now sat between the two, as if she were some pawn in a game. The pressure at her neck disappeared and she sucked in the most delicious breath.

"Let my servants go," Kylo spoke, angered.

"All in due time. You look rough, Kylo. The years have not been kind," Hux said, laughing.

"Do not act as if you know me. He spoke of you only once. You were not even worth mentioning after that one time," Kylo said, a sneer growing on his face.

The smile fell from Hux's face. Kylo had hit a nerve with the man. His eyes turned slowly to Rey. She saw his anger come to the surface, saw it boiling over.

"He must not care very much for you to insult me."

Rey was jerked forward, her chest hitting the table as she screamed in pain.

"Hux, no!" Kylo yelled, grabbing at Rey to free her.

"Touch her and I will kill her as you watch!" Hux yelled in anger.

Kylo sat back in his chair, his face showing his helplessness. Rey was pushed further into the table. She bit her lip to keep from screaming again. The pain was excruciating. When she reached the point where she knew she would pass out Hux released her. The invisible force sat her back in her chair softly. Tears made her vision blur as she pushed passed the pain.

"Now, since you and I have an understanding of how this will work let us have a little chat."

Kylo turned his attention away from Rey and stared daggers at the man. "Is he here?" Kylo asked, low.

"No. He is waiting above, and he requires an audience with you. Seems he is not happy about a certain girl who has entered your life," Hux said, turning a smile to Rey.

"She is my prisoner. Her father stole from me and she is serving his sentence. That is all she is."

"Yet, she had the power to force him from your mind. You must answer for your weakness."

Kylo sucked in a breath, his eyes growing wide. Hux's words scared him… why?

"I am not going back. He is wasting his time," Kylo whispered.

"You will tell him that when you see him. He is waiting for you."

Kylo's body shook, though he tried to hide it. Rey felt a sickness in the pit of her stomach. She remembered the horrible laugh the night Snoke took over Kylo's mind. She remembered the monstrous way he looked.

"I am not going," Kylo said, his teeth bared in a sneer.

Hux turned his attention to Rey. He smiled again, causing her to want to vomit. "Tell me, have you ever been to space?" he asked her. "What do you say you and I take a trip. Snoke is so looking forward to meeting you."

"No!" Kylo said, his anger consuming him.

"No? Then, you have changed your mind?" he said, turning his attention back to Kylo. "You have two choices. You either go to meet him, or the girl goes to meet him. It is quite simple."

"I will go," Kylo said, his hesitation gone.

"Good," Hux said, smiling.

"Let us not keep him waiting, Hux. We can go now."

Hux looked at Kylo, his forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Us? I am not going. I will stay here with the girl, for I find her quite fascinating."

"Like hell you will!" Kylo said, jumping to his feet. His hand went for the light saber again, but Rey cried out in pain. Kylo froze, his eyes watching her as she felt an enormous pain shoot through her head.

"Why are you causing the girl unnecessary pain?" Hux said, laughing.

Kylo let go of the saber and took a step back. The pain vanished as Rey let out a small whimper.

"Let her go home with her grandfather. Snoke has what he wants. He has me. She is not a part of this," Kylo begged.

"She will stay here with me. She will be the assurance he needs that you will finish what he started with you and embrace who you were meant to be. If you do not, I kill the girl."

"Kylo, no" Rey said, tears falling from her eyes.

He smiled, trying his best to calm her fears. "It will be okay."

No, it would not be okay. Kylo was forced to go to the man that turned his soul black, who took everything from him. Rey had a sickening feeling that she would never see him again. She pushed against the invisible force, trying everything she could to reach him.

"I will never allow you near her," Kylo said, jumping towards Hux, but before he could make it the red guards grabbed him. He fought against their hold on him, screaming Rey's name.

"No! Let him go," Rey begged, as she watched them drag him from the room.

His eyes never left hers the entire time he fought to be free. He pushed and pulled against the red guards, but their hold on him did not budge.

"Rey!" He screamed, as they pulled him out of the room.

The invisible force holding her down suddenly disappeared. Rey jumped from her chair, expecting Hux to stop her, but he continued to watch the scene with a smile on his face. She ran from the room, the world around her seeming to slow down. The red guards had Kylo at the front door, pulling him outside.

"Bring him back!" she screamed.

She ran, ran harder than she had ever run before, but it was not enough. Rey held her hands out as Kylo looked at her. There was so much love in his eyes, so much sadness. When he saw her he tried fighting harder, but there were too many. She knew that if they made it to the aircraft Kylo would be lost to her.

When she reached the front door the invisible force returned. She hit it, beat her fists upon it, but it never budged. It remained between her and Kylo as she screamed his name over and over. She slid to the ground as she watched him being pulled upon the aircraft, and as it took off and disappeared above her she continued to scream his name. He was gone.

"Bring him back," she cried, softly. "Bring him back."


	13. Chapter 13

Rey's screams followed Kylo as he was forced into the aircraft. He could fight his way to freedom, but if he did would Hux harm Rey before he could get to her? His choices were hopeless. Stay, and risk Rey being hurt. Go, and come face to face with his nightmares. As long as Kylo did as Snoke wanted Hux would not hurt her, for she was the reassurance that he would cooperate.

Kylo closed his eyes, his decision made for him. He would do anything to protect Rey, even if that meant his death. As the aircraft lifted off he reached his mind out to Rey, feeling her pain and anguish. The night she had saved him from the darkness a bond formed between them, and from that moment on he could reach out and feel her in his mind. Rey was not aware that she could touch his mind as well. He was going to tell her of their bond, but Hux and Snoke had ruined his chance.

He laid his head back against the wall and lost himself in her pain, wanting desperately to calm her fears. He felt guilty for involving her in this mess. If he had never kept her she would be safe back at her home with Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan!

The man had been hurt when Kylo pulled him out of the wrecked speeder, but he had been alive. Kylo had taken him inside the castle through the cellar and up to Rey's room, telling the man to stay there and heal. He would be Rey's only hope of escape. Obi-Wan was to wait until he could get Rey out safely and take the speeder hidden in a shed close to the castle. They were to never look back, to never worry about the castle again once they escaped.

Kylo felt his heart squeeze at the knowledge that he would never see Rey again. It was the choice he had to make. He would distract Snoke long enough for them to escape, and by the time he realized Rey was gone it would not matter. He would have Kylo under his manipulation again. The thought of that monster made Kylo sick to his stomach. He thought he was rid of Snoke, but the truth was he had never been more wrong.

The minutes ticked away to half an hour. Then an hour. Finally, the aircraft landed upon who knew where. Kylo was forced to his feet, his hands tied behind his back, and escorted off the aircraft. The world around him was shrouded in darkness, as if no sun existed. The air grew cold, as above his head the night sky lit up with thunder. He was pushed ahead by one of Snoke's Praetorian Guards. Kylo knew who the eight masked men were, but had never laid eyes on them until now. Their only job was to serve Snoke.

They take him towards a large building in the middle of nowhere. The moment Kylo stepped through the doors he felt the darkness press against him. He could feel Snoke's presence, and it snuffed out his connection with Rey. He desperately tried to find her again, but all he felt was anger and madness. Kylo felt alone, abandoned, as he walked further into the dim building. There was no means of escape, no way out but the way in. Two of the Praetorian Guards stopped at the door and stood watch. The other escorted him into a large room, which was bathed in red and black.

Snoke sat before him in a large chair, his distorted face watching Kylo's every move. The moment they made eye contact Kylo felt Snoke probe into his mind. He immediately threw up his walls to keep the man out, which caused Snoke's jaw to tighten in anger.

"Bring him forward," he commanded, his deep voice dripping with fury.

The Praetorian Guard pushed Kylo forward until he was standing only feet away from Snoke. Silence settled into the room as both men stared at one another. Kylo knew without a doubt he would pay dearly for his love for Rey. She had changed him, had driven the darkness away, and Snoke would not let that go unpunished.

"Your helmet is gone. Your anger is gone. You have forgotten everything I have taught you."

Kylo refused to answer him, only choosing to stare. This made Snoke more angry. The pressure in his mind grew worse, causing him to wince.

"You shut your mind off from me, a mind I helped to mold and create."

Snoke pushed harder. Kylo winced again, slamming his eyes closed. The pain was excruciating, but he would not yield to Snoke. He would not go back to when the darkness ruled him.

"Get out of my head," he said, growling.

"She has made you stronger. You hide her from my eyes, but you cannot hide her forever. You cannot hide your true thoughts and feelings from me, Ben… or is it Kylo Ren now? The son who murdered his parents. The man who turned his back on his people. You are still that same person no matter what the girl has made you feel."

The mention of Kylo's parents shook him to his very core, causing the wall around his mind to shake. Behind his closed eyelids their faces shown. Their dead eyes, seeing nothing, looked at him in shock and horror. It was too much.

"No!" Kylo screamed, falling to his knees.

"The girl has fooled you into believing you can change, but you are a man of darkness. It is what makes you stronger, elite. Just let the darkness back in and you shall be more powerful than ever before," said Snoke.

He stood from his chair and walked slowly to Kylo. He whimpered when he felt Snoke lay his hand on his head. "You were meant to be at my side! Fulfill your destiny!"

"Never!" Kylo yelled.

He jumped to his feet and grabbed his lightsaber. The Praetorian Guards were there in an instant to protect Snoke. Kylo swung his lightsaber at anything that came close to him. The six guards surrounded him, their staffs out and ready. He became distracted and opened his mind to Snoke just as Snoke wanted.

Snoke penetrated his mind, which made Kylo stumble back. His eyes grew wide as pain surged throughout his body. The lightsaber dropped from his hand as he grabbed for his head. Pain. Anger. Rage. Darkness ran through him like fire. He fell to his knees, his eyes wide and unseeing.

"I will undo what the girl has done. I will make you what you were supposed to be. I will finish what I started."

Kylo was at Snoke's mercy. Rey's face slowly disappeared from his mind in a cloud of black smoke. He reached for it, desperate to hang on, and she floated back to him. He clamped down on her memory and the darkness receded. A light began to glow, casting her to the forefront of his mind. Snoke withdrew his hold.

Kylo's eyes slid open. He stood to his feet, standing face to face with Snoke. "You have no power over me any longer. I was a child when you came into my life, an easy target to manipulate. But, now I have known the light and I crave it more than the darkness. You will have to kill me!"

Snoke only smiled. "That might be arranged. Take him to the cells and lock him up, until I am ready for him."

Kylo was dragged from the room towards a long hallway. Dim red lights guided the guards' path. He could hear the creaking and moaning of the old building. He counted the seconds to see how far away they took from where Snoke was.

They threw him inside the cell and slammed the door behind him. When they walked away the red lights blinked and dimmed a few times before completely going out. Kylo was in complete darkness. He got to his feet and maneuvered around the tiny cell. He stretched his hands out before him, but felt nothing.

A scream erupted all around him, causing him to jump back in surprise. Turning in every direction, he saw nothing but darkness, yet the scream did not stop. As he listened, he felt his blood run cold. He knew that scream, that voice. It was that of a woman's.

"M—mom," Kylo whispered.

Her screams grew louder by the second knocking him in the chest like a cold metal beam. He reached for the bars and started shaking them. She sounded so close to him, in so much pain. He had to reach her, had to help her. Kylo banged on the bars, pulling and pushing for a weakness within the structure, but there were none.

"No," he moaned, stumbling back from the bars. Kylo grabbed his hair and pulled. She was dead. She had been dead for years. Those were not her screams. Her pain had ended when he was a child.

Her screams stopped, only to be replaced by another scream. This one belonged to a man. Kylo's face crumbled when he recognized his father's voice. He huddled in the corner, his hands over his ears, and rocked back and forth like a scared child. For hours he had to listen to the screams of his parents. By the time he was dragged from the cell again Kylo could barely think about anything other than the screams.

The guards dropped him to the ground in front of Snoke again. He kept his head bent, tried to find the strength to combat what was about to happen. He thought of Rey. Her face came to his mind and he held it as if it were his only salvation. He opened the link to her for just a moment, just to feel her. The moment Snoke began to probe he shut his mind off. This time was worse than the last. He was so tired, so drained, but he fought against the man.

"It looks as though I must break you to get what I want. You will submit to me as you did all those years ago. Take him back to the cell."

The guards jerked him to his feet and dragged him from the room. They threw him back into the cell, back into the darkness and back to the screams. Over and over they came without stopping. He had no sense of time, no sense of the days that rolled by as he listened to his parents suffer over and over. He began to hear them call his name amongst the screams. They spoke of his betrayal. They spoke of their sadness. Or maybe it was all in his head, he was not sure.

His cell door opened, but he had no desire to look at who it was. He did not need to. He felt Snoke's presence in the cell. The man threw something beside Kylo. It hit the ground, rolling to a stop at his side. Kylo looked down, sucking in a breath. His mask stared up at him.

"Wear it and you will not hear their screams again," Snoke said, softly.

Snoke walked from the cell leaving Kylo to stare at the mask. It was a prison worse than the one he was in. He closed his eyes and reached out for Rey. She was there, sleeping. Kylo laid down on the cold ground, his eyes staring at the mask. Finally, sleep took him.

She was there with him, her face so close to his. He stared into her brown eyes so full of warmth and love. There was light within the darkness shining down on them. His hands shook as he reached for her face. She smiled, leaning in to his touch.

"I am so sorry, Rey," he whispered.

"Shhh… just come back to me. I do not care how you do it, but come back to me."

When his hand touched her cheek again she became as smoke., his hand slipping right through her. "Rey?" he called. Her eyes closed and she was gone. He was back in the cell alone, the screams reappearing again. He crawled towards the cell bars.

"Stop it!" He screamed. "Stop it!"

The screams stopped, but he had no time to enjoy the peace and quiet before another scream ripped through his cell. This scream was not his mother. This scream was not his father. This scream made the very act of breathing difficult. The scream belonged to Rey. Had they brought her to Snoke?

"Snoooooke! Snoke, do not hurt her!" He screamed, banging his head against the bars.

Kylo whipped around, grabbing the helmet from the ground and putting it on. Anger and rage boiled within him, filling him with strength. The beast within him burst forward, revenge burning his blood. Rey's screams did not die when he put the helmet on, but grew louder. Kylo kicked the cell door, over and over, until it buckled and exploded. He walked down the hallway, counting the seconds that he had memorized.

When he entered the room he expected to see Rey at the mercy of Snoke, but she was not there. The Praetorian Guards turned their heads towards him as he slowly walked towards Snoke. The man's distorted lips turned up into a smile when he saw Kylo in his mask.

Kylo froze, realization hitting him too late. It had been a trap. He had dropped his defenses thinking Rey was in trouble. He grabbed for the helmet to tear it off, but Snoke was there in his mind before he could stop him. Pain and fury soaked into his body as he dropped to his knees. His mouth opened into a silent scream as Snoke's hold over him grew. He could not concentrate long enough to fight back, and Snoke consumed him mind with ease. Kylo was lost to the man's possession.

"Now, I will erase all that has been done and create a new masterpiece. One that will rule the galaxy beside me," Snoke said, rising from his chair and approaching Kylo.


	14. Chapter 14

Kylo was there with her. His face was inches from her own, his breath fanning her cheeks. Tired eyes opened and closed slowly, his fear drowning her. Kylo touched her cheek, whispering words of comfort. Rey leaned in to his touch realizing how much she missed it. She closed her eyes feeling the warmth from his body. The smell of him consumed her. Had the past few weeks been just a horrible nightmare? Was she now awake?

Rey opened her eyes and watched helplessly as Kylo melted into fog. She tried to reach for him, but she felt nothing but air. She sat up suddenly, around her the darkness loomed on everything. The hard ground below her caused her body to groan and hurt. Hux had thrown her into the cell after her third attempt at escape. She had given up her dream of escape and was now trying to find a way to free the servants. All of them, Maz, Finn, Poe, Rose and Chewbacca remained in the dining room. She saw them every night, yet they never moved. Hux had them under some kind of spell, and if she did not help them they would die. Escape was no longer an option.

She cried every night in her cell for the loss of Kylo and her grandfather. She had no idea what had happened to Obi-Wan, and with him not coming to get her Rey feared the worst. Even now, the tears appeared in her eyes. She had lost the strength to keep them at bay, so they ran freely down her dirty cheeks.

Rey leaned against the wall of the cell as her dream played back in her mind. Kylo had been there with her, she was so sure of it. He had been a tangible thing, awakening all of her senses. It could not have been just a dream. But, she was here and he was somewhere else.

"Kylo," she whispered, broken.

What was happening to him? Was he being tortured? Was he already dead? Rey felt a pressure push against her chest making it hard to breath. She covered her mouth as she let out a sob of anguish. She wanted him back. Fear drowned her in his absence, and Hux's anger was growing worse by the day. Her eye was already blackened from his anger.

The sound of footsteps approached her cell, and Rey swiftly dried her tears. She would never give Hux the satisfaction of seeing her cry. It was time. Every morning he came to get her from the cell. They would go to the dining room for breakfast and then he would put her to work doing anything he thought needed done. Mostly it was housework. She had a feeling his job was to keep her busy. For how long, she did not know, but every day she feared would be her last.

Hux watched her from the other side of the cell door, his eyes roaming down her body. Rey never made eye contact with the man. He made her want to scream, but she swallowed it down. It would gain her nothing but another punch. Hux opened the cell door, motioning for her to step out.

"Come," he said, sickly sweet.

Rey walked slowly from the cell, her eyes staying on his hands. She shook slightly when she had to turn her back on him and walked up the stairs. He was right on her heels, making as much noise as he could, for he knew how much he scared her. They walked into the dining room without incident. Rey took her usual seat facing the unmoved servants. He wanted her to sit there, to look at them in the state they were in.

She barely ate, but he said nothing about it. As he stuffed his face she stared at Maz. The teapot lay on her side, her face staring at Rey. She begged her eyes to blink just once.

"You will be cleaning the East wing today. That should keep you busy until tonight. As always, please try not to escape. I would hate to take it out on the servants."

"Will you release them?" she asked, softly. She asked every day, and he always said no. Rey needed them, needed Maz's reassurance and Finn, Poe and Rose's friendship. The loneliness and helplessness of her situation was too much.

Hux turned back to look at the servants, a sneer running across his face. "You care too much for such rubbish. They are better in that state than they are alive." He turned back to her, his sneer still visible. "Do you think I am an idiot? They will fight against my hold on this castle and will help you escape. They remain where they are."

"Please. None of that will happen, I swear," Rey said pleading.

"Enough!" His yelled, slamming his fist into the table. He stood from his chair and walked to the servants. Rey sucked in a breath as he grabbed Maz and walked back to the table. He sat the teapot on the edge of the table in front of Rey and came and stood behind her.

Rey's eyes grew wide in fear as she stared at the teapot. Just a sliver of movement on the table and she would shatter on the ground. Hux hovered over Rey, bending down to speak on her ear.

"When I tell you no I do not mean for you to argue with me. You ask me every day will I set them free. I would hate to see this teapot take a tumble."

His hand slowly reached over Rey's shoulder towards the table. Her instincts kicked in and she grabbed for the teapot right as he shook the table. Rey barely grabbed Maz in time. She cradled the teapot to her chest, soft sobs leaving her mouth.

"Put the thing back where it was and get to your chores. Let us not have this conversation again," Hux whispered.

Rey stood to her feet, moving swiftly to the wall to get some distance between her and Hux. She laid Maz back on the floor, her hand staying on the teapot longer than she should have, but she needed to calm her nerves and the only way to do that was to allow herself to see that Maz was okay.

When she composed herself she walked up the stairs to the East wing. This was Kylo's private quarters, and she felt his presence in everything. When she entered his dark room she walked towards his bed. She remembered watching the doctor try and save his life the night he saved her from the militia. She remembered the night he had kissed her, the night he had brought her to this bed.

She sat down heavily, her chest burning again. His smell was all around her in every thing. Rey laid down and buried herself in his sheet, and it was as if he were there with her. She could feel him close, could even hear him. He was angry, so very angry. His anger and rage surprised her and she slowly sat up. Something was happening. Kylo was in her mind, or at least that is what it felt like.

"Kylo," she whispered in the dark room.

His scream was the only response. Rey gasped, grabbing her head as a wave of pain shot through her. Kylo was hurting. She could feel it flowing through her like a bolt of lightning. He was scared, just as scared as she was, but the pain was worse. Rey opened her mind to him, reaching for him with invisible hands. He was there, but just barely. Covered in deep darkness, she could barely see his profile.

"Kylo, I am here," she screamed, but her words were muted by another presence. This presence caused her to shiver. It was all around her, yet she could not see who it was. Kylo reached for her, but the gap between them was as wide as an ocean. When something grabbed her arm she tried to scream, but the darkness choked her. She was drowning in pain and anger… in darkness.

Rey came to with a start, sitting up and looking around the room. When had she fallen asleep? She hurried to the door and looked out into the hall. There was no one there. She slipped out of Kylo's room and went to the next room. Her mind could not shake what had just happened. Kylo was in trouble, there was no doubt, and that had been no dream. She had been with him somehow.

This was the room with the rose. It seemed like a lifetime ago when Kylo had scared her from this room and she has fled the castle. Both of them had been different people, angry and hardheaded. Now, she stood among the ruins of the room and felt as if it were a grave yard. Rey turned in a slow circle, looking at the destruction of the room. This was sacred ground, where no one should be. The rose sat under the large window, a new glass case shielding it.

Rey walked towards it, its last two petals hanging on, though one of the petals was barely attached. As if her presence disturbed the rose, it bent towards the bottom of the glass case. The petal barely hanging on detached itself from its home and floated to lay with the other dead petals. It sizzles and turned black with its own death. One petal remained.

Rey touched the glass case as softly as she could. It felt cold to the touch, which sent a shiver down her spine. When the last petal fell Kylo and the servants would remain in this nightmare. Without him here, Rey had no idea how to help them.

"Can you hear me, Kylo?" she whispered, hoping for the connection she felt twice already.

Her eyes closed as she quieted her mind and listened for him. She reached out, past the room… past the castle. She reached her mind out beyond Jakku in search of him. All she found was silence. There was no trace of Kylo where there once used to be.

"What is this?" Rey gasped and turned to see Hux in the room with her, his eyes on the rose. He walked towards her, his hand already outstretched towards the rose. Rey remembered how frightened Kylo had been when he thought she had touched the rose.

"It—it is nothing," she said, stepping in his path.

His ice-blue eyes raised to hers, anger flashing within them. "Out of my way," he said.

Rey did not move. A sudden urge to protect the rose overcame her fear of the man in front of her. She defiantly raised her chin, shaking her head no. Rey opened her mouth and spit in Hux's face. It was the only distraction that came to mind. And it worked. His eyes grew big for a moment, as if he could not believe what she had done. Rey prepared herself for the assault. This was going to hurt.

Hux grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her from the room. She yelled out in pain and tried hitting his arm, but he maneuvered around every hit. She lost her footing, but that did not stop Hux. He dragged her through the second story hall, yelling and screaming his angered words.

When they reached the stairs Hux let her go. Rey had only a moment before his foot kicked her in the stomach sending her down the stairs. Each step felt like a knife to the ribs. She covered her head to protect it, which left the rest of her body exposed. By the time she landed at the bottom of the stairs she felt every inch of her body scream in pain.

"I will kill you!" Hux screamed from the top of the stairs.

Rey raised her head in time to see Hux taking the stairs two at a time. His assault on her was not done yet. She laid her head back down, waiting. A plan took shape in her mind, for she would not go out without a fight. She waited. And waited. Finally, he grabbed the back of her head and she turned to strike.

Rey meant to scratch those ice-blue eyes from his head, but what happened shocked them both. The moment she touched his face a light began to grow behind her palm. His eyes went wide in shock. His mouth opened to a painful scream as he dropped to his knees beside her. She hung on, watching the light in his eyes go out. The moment they rolled into the back of his head she released him.

Her eyes stared in shock. What had she just done? Her shaking hands felt for a pulse. It was there but barely. Rey moaned as she crawled away from the man's unconscious body. She used the banister to get to her feet and remained there for a few moments as she stared at him. She raised her hand to her face, yet they looked like her normal hands.

"Rey?"

Rey jumped as someone called her name. She gasped as the servants entered the foyer. They walked dazed and confused, but they were awake again.

"Maz?" Rey breathed.

Her pain forgotten, she limped towards the teapot, candelabra and clock. Happiness exploded from her as she fell to her knees in front of her friends.

"You are okay!" she whispered.

"How long have we been out?" Maz asked.

"A few weeks."

Everyone turned their eyes towards the unconscious man. His hold on the servants must have ended when she knocked him out.

"Rey, you look a mess," Rose said, worry in her voice.

"I have been better, but I am okay."

"What do we do with him?" Finn asked, pointing at Hux.

Rey thought for a moment. They needed to place him somewhere that he could not escape until she could figure out what to do with him, and he probably knew where Kylo was.

"We will put him in the cells, interrogate him for information on where they took Kylo," Rey answered.

At the mention of Kylo Maz's face fell. She looked worried for her master, as well as she should be. "Rey…"

Rey knew what she was about to say, and did not want to hear it. She got to her aching feet and went to Hux. Grabbing both of his feet, she began to pull him towards the cellar. He was heavier than he looked, and with the beating her body took it was a slow go, until Chewbacca relieved her and picked the man up. He carried him down to the cellars and threw him into one of the cells.

"Something happened when I touched him. Some kind of light attacked him from my hand."

"You have a power inside you, Rey… a light. It will combat against darkness. That is how you protected Kylo from the darkness. You poured your light into him and he accepted it. Hux is far too gone to the Dark Side to accept the light, so it worked as a weapon. Keep that in mind, child. You may need to use it again one day."

"I do not even know how I used it the first time."

"Rey, go and get yourself cleaned up. You look as though you have been awake for a week… and the bruises…"

Rey nodded her head and left the servants to watch over Hux. "When he wakes up come and get me, okay?" she said, tired.

"Of course," Maz answered.

Rey slowly climbed the stairs, her body screaming at her. She thought of going to her room, but instead she walked towards Kylo's room. She slid into his bed, surrounded by the sheets that smelled so much like him.

"Kylo, please," she whispered, closing her eyes. She reached her mind out again to the same results. There was only silence, emptiness. Maybe she had made it all up, and it really had been a dream. She fell asleep with his face in her memory.

"Reyyyyyy!"

She sat up, suddenly. For a moment, Rey could not place where she was, but she remembered she was in Kylo's room. Something had woken her up, someone screaming her name. A loud bang came from the first floor causing her to jump in surprise. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the searing pain running up and down her body.

Rey tore the door open and ran for the stairs, but skidded to a stop when she saw what was below her. The servants were scattered all around the room, some even unconscious again.

"No!" Rey breathed, her heart pounding against her chest.

Hux walked through the room, his face red with fury. He had gotten out of the cells and a war had raged while she slept.

"Get. Down. Here… now!" He said, his body shaking in anger.

His hands were covered with gloves. She noticed most of his body covered in clothing. He was prepared for her this time. She took the steps as slowly as possible, but she could not run from her fate. Rey stumbled on the last steps, but Hux was there. He grabbed her and dragged her to the middle of the room. Suddenly, the servants floated into the air and hovered over them turning slowly in a circle.

"You have condemned them all," he said, spittle falling from his mouth.

"No, please," she begged, receiving a slap across the face.

Rey fell to the ground and struggled against Hux. He jumped on top of her, his hands going around her neck. Rey reached for the only skin uncovered, but his face was too far away. She was desperate for a breath, feeling the life draining from her body. Hux squeezed harder, his lips pulled back from his teeth in a sneer. The veins popped out of his forehead. She was at the mercy of a monster.

The world around Rey became dark as unconsciousness drew her under. Her hand fell to her side, the strength gone from her body. This was not supposed to be how her life ended. She closed her eyes and thought of Kylo's face. He was smiling at her like he did the night he kissed her for the first time.

Hux's hold on her throat loosened enough for her to take a long breath. She fought for more air, and more air came to her. Her blurry eyes shot open wide as Hux stumbled to his feet. He looked down at his chest and Rey followed his eyes. A large red stain grew at his chest, spreading down his shirt. He looked up at Rey, surprised and shocked in his eyes. He took a step towards her, but never made it any further.

Something punctured through his chest, something blue. A lightsaber. Hux fell to his knees, his eyes growing glassy with death, and standing behind him was Obi-Wan with a lightsaber in his hands. Hux fell dead beside Rey, but her eyes were only on her grandfather. She watched him raise his hand and slowly lower the servants from the air. He looked stronger than she had ever seen him. This was not the feeble man she knew.

"Awake," he said. All the servants began to wake as he bid them.

Rey looked around, shocked at what she was seeing. Her grandfather had awoken the servants.

"G—Grandfather," Rey whispered.

He bent down before her, touching her cheek lightly. "Forgive me for not acting sooner. I had to stay hidden until I was fully recovered, which took longer than expected."

She moved swiftly, throwing her arms around his neck. He was alive and well… and here. He held her with a strength she did not know he had. When she leaned back and looked into his eyes there was something different about them, something wise and strong.

"You are hurt," he said, choked.

"I will be okay," she said, smiling. "H—How did you do that?" she asked, talking about the servants.

He helped her to her feet, laughing softly. "Before I grew to an old man I was a Jedi Knight. A very good one might I add."

"I—I was able to use the force earlier."

He touched her cheek again, pride swelling in his eyes. "You take after your mother. She was strong in the force just like her daughter."

"Obi-Wan, it is time," Maz said, walking towards them. Her head was bent low, her face deep in despair.

"Time for what?" Rey said, her eyes moving back and forth from her grandfather to Maz. "What are you talking about?"

"Rey, we need to leave," he answered, low.

Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. He wanted her to leave? What about saving Kylo? She could not abandon him.

"What? I am not leaving. Grandfather, Kylo needs me," she said, panicked.

Obi-Wan places his hand on her shoulder, his face matching Maz's. They both looked defeated. Had they given up hope?

"Rey, we must leave. It is too dangerous here and I promised…"

"As did I…"

"Promised what?" she said, loud. Her body shook with the force of keeping her tears at bay. Obi-Wan and Maz exchanged looks, both nodding.

"When Kylo saved me from the wreckage he brought me back to the castle for one purpose. He asked that I give him three days to return. If those three days came and went it meant he was lost to us, that Snoke had him. Rey, it has been weeks."

"Ben knew a day would come when Snoke would come for him. He made me promise I would release you if that ever happened. Obi-Wan is right, the days have passed without a word. He is… he is…"

Maz could not finish her sentence as a sob escaped her. Rey closed her eyes, begging her mind to find him. If she could prove he was still there they would stop this foolishness. She searched and searched but came up with nothing.

"He is not there, is he?" came Obi-Wan's quiet voice.

Rey's face crumbled. "He was there before. I cannot find him anymore," she whispered, slowly falling to her knees. Beside her, Maz softly cried as the servants surrounded them.

"Snoke has finished his work. Ben is his," Maz cried softly.

"No!" Rey said, standing to her feet. "I will not believe it! I refuse to give up on him. He needs me, grandfather."

"Rey, if he ever returns he will not be the same person you remember. The curse will win, if not the curse then Snoke. I made him a promise to get you away from this place, and I love you too much to lose you too."

"Rey, you must listen to him. You must leave us while you still can. This is no life for you," Finn said, softly.

"This is the life I have chosen," she yelled.

Obi-Wan walked towards her, wrapping his arms around her. He shushed her cries softly, speaking words she could barely hear and made no sense. Rey clung to him, her heart bleeding. Suddenly, she felt so sleepy. It became hard to hold her eyes open. She blinked a few times, but that only made it worse. It was becoming harder to remember where she was, or why she was there. The room turned black, then turned to nothing. A fog blew inside her mind covering her thoughts and what made her feel so sad.

"He wanted me to tell you that he loved you. That he would always love you, and that he is sorry it had to come to this," Obi-Wan whispered in her ear, yet for the life of her she could not remember who Obi-Wan was talking about.


	15. Chapter 15

Kylo sat straight up in bed, his mind reeling with fear and confusion. The darkness caved in around him making it difficult to breathe. He raised shaky hands to his face, rubbing his damp skin, as if it would help rid his mind of what he had just seen. He relived the visions in his head over and over, a scream on the edge of his tongue. He could not see past the darkness.

Something moved at his side, something that brought him back to reality. Rey laid beside him sound asleep, oblivious to the war raging within him. He had been dreaming, yet the nightmare clung to him like the perspiration running down his temple. His eyes were wide and unseeing as the dream played over and over in his mind.

Snoke had returned, sending his General after Kylo and keeping Rey as his hostage. He tried to fight Snoke, but he had lost and the Beast within him had won. And Rey… she had been at the mercy of Hux. He could still see the bruises on her skin, could still see the abuse she suffered because of him. And the worst part was they both had forgotten each other in the end.

Kylo slowly turned his head to look down at Rey. She had stayed with him after the midnight hour. He had held her so close, as if the act of letting go would destroy him. She had softly lulled him from the darkness and kept him anchored. It was the most peaceful he had felt… until the nightmare. It was more than a nightmare. It was a warning and he knew it with every fiber of his being. Snoke had reached out to him and showed him his future. There was no doubt.

Kylo untangled himself from Rey and grabbed his shirt from the floor. He threw it over his shoulders and hurried from the room. He felt himself crack, felt his cool façade begin to crumble all around him. Laughter floated in his mind, deep and menacing. Kylo stumbled, catching himself on the door. Snoke was here, in his mind.

"I will kill her," he whispered, laughing.

Kylo ran from the room towards the hallway, but Snoke spoke in his mind again.

"Your compassion for the girl will be her destruction."

"No," Kylo moaned. He grabbed his head, desperate to push Snoke away. Pain shot through him causing his vision to blur. This was a warning from Snoke as to what was to come.

Kylo hurried through the darkness of the late hour. The castle was silent as all slept throughout. Taking the stairs two at a time he ran for the front door and went outside. When the air hit him, he ran as fast as he could through the lawn towards the dessert. He ran from his nightmare, from what he knew it meant. When he was far enough away from the castle he fell to his knees, the pain intensifying. Snoke was still in his mind laughing at his pain.

"You will not touch her," Kylo whispered, putting every ounce of anger into his words.

"We shall see… I am coming for her."

Snoke's presence disappeared from Kylo's mind leaving him tired and vulnerable. As the moments past the pain eased. Kylo stood to his feet, his shoulders slumped. He looked like a man with heavy burdens upon him. Snoke was coming. His words had been no idol threat. He turned and headed back towards the castle, his mind a swirling mix of fear and anger.

Kylo went back upstairs to his room and stood by the door. Rey slept soundly unaware of what was happening. In that moment he felt his love for the girl. He felt it consume him, burning through him. He would keep her safe no matter the cost. The vision Snoke showed him as he slept would never come to pass if he could help it. Kylo would never allow Snoke anywhere near Rey.

Kylo undressed, grabbing his black outfit and black robe. With each fabric he put on he felt himself drowning in the darkness. Ben had fought for control and had almost won, but with every second that passed Kylo Ren took over. He needed to forget, needed to forget what it felt like to be human. He needed to forget what it felt like to love. His hand reached for the object on the nightstand and froze. Kylo stared at it for what felt like an eternity. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to wear it. His hand shook as he picked up the mask and raised it to his face. The moment it locked into place Kylo's mind was made up. With one last look at the sleeping angel in his bed he left the room.

He sat in his study staring at the wall. Time seemed to slip away as his heart broke over and over again. Kylo heard the door squeak open, but did not look to see who his visitor was. His back was turned to them, but he heard the sharp intake of breath and knew it was Maz. His heart broke for his servants, for his decision would effect them as well.

"Ben…" she called to him, softly.

"Ben has been dead for ten years, Maz. How many times must I remind you of that?" It was not lost on him how dead his voice sounded, even through the robotic overtones.

Maz approached him as if he would strike her at any second. He watched her behind the mask, watched her eyes grow wide when she saw him fully. The look in her eyes made him wince, and he was glad he had the cover of the mask. If Maz could cry she would have.

"What has happened?" she whispered.

"Snoke came to me in a dream. He showed me things… horrible things. He showed me what would happen if I continued down this road. He wants me to allow the Beast's transformation to finish and if I do not…"

"Rey," Maz gasped.

"He will kill her… but not before he allows her to be tortured. I cannot fight him, Maz. He made that perfectly clear. He will separate us making her vulnerable and he will destroy what little good I have left in me. He will make me forget her. Snoke showed me how he would do it… and I believe him."

Minutes rolled by as his words sunk in. Kylo could still feel the horrible feeling of having his memory wiped from him, of hearing the screams of his parents and Rey. He could still see the bruises on Rey and watching Hux touch her. She had fought for him, to save him, but in the end she had forgotten him as well. There was something about that moment in his dream that tore him apart. Obi-Wan had whispered words into her ear and made her forget all that she knew about Kylo and his castle.

Maz was speaking to him, but he was drowning in his despair. Her words were useless to him in that moment. He could still see the light of recognition going out in Rey's eyes.

"She must leave," he whispered. He realized what he had to do, closing his eyes against the emotions raging within him.

"But… the curse…" Maz said, her voice breaking.

"I have to make a choice. Allow Rey to stay to hopefully break the curse and allow her to be in danger, or I set her free and allow the curse to come to pass. I—I know what this will cost you and all the servants, but I cannot allow Snoke to get to her, Maz. I—I l—love her."

"She will not just leave. She has already proven that."

Kylo stared at the teapot thinking over her words. No, Rey would not just leave, but the dream had given him an idea. Obi-Wan had erased her memory and Kylo had that same power. He could do what Obi-Wan had done. He could make her forget him, forget he ever existed. It would protect her even as it broke him completely.

"I can make her forget," he said low, defeated.

"Oh, Ben," Maz said, her voice cracking with emotion.

The teapot leaned in to his leg, as if she were holding him. In that moment he wished she could. Every hope and light Rey had brought into his life slowly seeped away. Kylo felt lost as he reached for his mask and slowly removed it from his face. Tears stung his eyes as he realized his mind was made up.

"Is there no other way?" Maz asked, her own emotions drowning her.

"I am so sorry I could not save you all, Maz. All of you deserved more than this. It was my sins alone, and it should have been my burden to bear alone." He stopped, taking in a long breath. "There is no other way. I love her, Maz. I will condemn myself to this life to protect her. I just wish…" Kylo could not finish as the tears began to stream down his face.

"I know," Maz said, lovingly. "I have waited ten years to see that good man I knew that lived inside you. I see him now. I finally see him."

Kylo buried his face in his hands to stifle his sobs. Maz hummed to him softly as he allowed his despair to take over. In that moment he let Rey go, let go of any chance there was that they could be together. He let go of the hope that she could learn to love him as he loved her. He let go of the life they could have had, the life he wanted to give her. What was left was darkness and loneliness. But, she would live. She would be safe. That was all that he wanted.

"When?" Maz asked him. The sun was starting to rise outside his window when they finally spoke again.

"Today. She will leave with Obi-Wan."

"You must tell the grandfather. That way, he can help to keep her safe," Maz said.

Kylo agreed. There was a reason it had been Obi-Wan in his dream. He was the only other person that loved Rey as much as he did. The man would do anything to protect her, even if that meant keeping his existence a secret.

He left his study in search of the old man and found him by the gardens. Obi-Wan stared down at the vegetables beginning to bloom. Rey had done wonders with the dead garden and it pained him to realize the garden would die again once she left him. Many things would die once her light left them all. When the man turned around and met his gaze Kylo pushed through his pain to get this over with.

"Rey's speeder is in that building over there," he said, pointing to a large wooden building. "You will use it and take Rey home with you today. She is no longer required to stay, for the punishment that held her here no longer matters to me."

Obi-Wan's eyes went wide at this. "You will give her back to me?"

Kylo swallowed the lump in his throat, telling himself it was almost over. "Yes."

Obi-Wan smiled as tears clouded his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you, sir."

"There is one condition. You must never talk to her about what happened. You must never talk to her about me. When she leaves with you she will have no memories of this place or of me. Do you understand?"

The smile fell from Obi-Wan's face being replaced by confusion. "So, this is not her decision? Why would you let her go?"

Kylo thought about how to answer this question. He could have made something up, but the truth was more convincing. He needed Obi-Wan to understand the severity of the situation.

"Because I have fallen in love with her. She deserves more than what I can give her, and if she stays danger will find her. Letting her go is the only way to protect her."

"Protect her from what?" He asked.

"From my sins," Kylo answered, softly.

The two men stood in silence staring at one another, until Obi-Wan broke the silence. "I have devoted my life to keeping Rey safe. If staying here puts her in danger then I will do as you asked, but… if you truly love her why do you not fight for her?"

His words stung, but Kylo knew the man did not know the entire story. If he did he would drag Rey from the castle and never look back. Kylo turned to leave, but he only took a few steps before he stopped.

"This is me fighting for her," he answered. "Get the speeder ready and come to the East Wing. Go past my room to the next room. There, Rey will be waiting."

Kylo walked back into the castle. Every step became harder than the last. He climbed the stairs, trying his best to calm his nerves. On the second floor he heard her moving around in his room. Kylo closed his eyes, taking several breaths before entering the room. She was standing in front of his window looking up towards the sky. He could see her profile, could see the small smile upon her lips. Her eyes were closed as she breathed deeply. For a fraction of a second he second guessed his decision. As he watched her he begged his mind to think of another way, to think of some way to keep her here with him. But, all he saw was the nightmare. All he saw was Obi-Wan wiping her memory. She was his, had been his since the moment he saw her. How was he going to let her go?

Rey turned her eyes slowly towards him, her smile growing. He tried to smile back, but the very act caused him pain. She must have noticed, for her smile fell. It was as if the clouds hid the sun.

"What is wrong?" she asked, walking towards him. He opened and closed his mouth several times trying to answer, but his words abandoned him. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Rey. He buried his nose in her hair, putting to memory her smell. He was not sure when he fully became the beast if he would even remember her at all, but he hoped something of her remained with him.

"You are shaking," she whispered, against his chest.

He held her tighter, kissing the top of her head. "Take a walk with me," he finally said.

As much as he did not want to he let her go, taking her hand in his instead. They walked from the room towards the room with the rose. How fitting was it that this would be the room where he said goodbye to Rey? The one room he forbid her to go in was the one that called to him in that moment. The rose waited for them, and he made that their destination.

Some time in the night another rose petal had fallen, which left just one more. Kylo realized he did not care as much as he used to. To him, it was a sign of loss. He reached out his hand and laid it across the glass surface. When Rey laid her hand upon his he sucked in a breath. Her warmth spread through his entire body.

"Something is wrong. Tell me," she said, softly.

Kylo could not tell her the truth. He could not tell her what he was about to do. The truth was killing him, but he reminded himself better he be killed than Rey. This was the only way to protect her. This was the only way to ensure she would go on.

"I have done so many bad things in my life. I turned away from the light. I had nothing to live for, not until you walked into my life. You showed me there was still good inside me. You showed me how to live again, and I will always be grateful."

"Why does it sound as though you are saying goodbye?" Rey whispered.

Kylo forced himself to look at her, but when he saw the pain in her eyes he wished he had not. She grabbed his face when he tried to look away. Kylo slammed his eyes closed, feeling his resolve begin to shake.

"Rey…"

"No! You do not get to do this again. I have made my decision and I choose to stay with you. Do not even think of sending me away," she said, her words rushed.

Kylo laid his forehead against hers. His strength failed him and for a moment she had changed his mind. He did not want to go on without her. He wanted her here, just like this, but the dream played in his mind again. He heard Snoke's laughter and threats. No, he had been selfish his entire life. He would not be selfish here. For the first time in his life he would put someone before himself.

He wrapped his arms around Rey again. Softly, he pressed his lips to Rey's tasting the salt of tears. At first, he thought she was crying, but he realized the tears belonged to him. He allowed them to fall freely, for his will to care was gone. She would go on, be happy. Even after the curse took him fully Rey would still know happiness. She would still know the light and it's warmth. She would be able to know love one day. He could give her all of these things, but he would have to let her go.

Kylo broke the kiss and moved slowly towards her ear. "I love you, Rey. I will always love you," he whispered.

He felt her stiffen, felt her head move away so that she could look into his eyes. This time, he could not meet her stare. He heard her sharp intake of breath, felt her try and move away from him, but his hold on her was too tight.

"No… Kylo!" she cried. "I lo—"

He gently grabbed her face, stopping her words. Her eyes went wide as he took control over her. She tried to fight against his hold, but he was stronger. When he finally looked in her eyes he saw so many emotions. Anger, betrayal, confusion… love.

"You will forget this place and all who live within these walls. You will forget the time you spent here. When you wake up in your bed it will all feel like a dream within a dream. You will have no memory of me. I am but the wind passing through. There is no castle. There are no servants. There is no Kylo Ren. You will live your life in happiness and contentment… in the light and not the darkness."

When the last word was spoken Rey's eyes slowly closed. Kylo sank slowly to the ground cradling her unconscious body to his chest. His tears fell upon her cheeks. His thumb lightly touched her face, memorizing the feel of her.

"There will never be a day that goes by that I do not think of you. You are my light, will always be my light. I do not regret loving you. You… were the best thing to ever happen to me," he whispered to her unconscious form.

"Kylo…"

Kylo slowly looked to the door. Obi-Wan was there with Maz, Finn, Poe and Rose. His servants' heads were bent in defeat and sadness as Obi-Wan walked towards him. The old man bent down, his concerned eyes roaming over Rey's face.

"Are you ready to go?" Kylo asked, his words thick.

"Yes," Obi-Wan answered, softly.

The hardest thing Kylo did was to hand Rey over to her grandfather. The moment he let go of her the cold seeped back into him. Even the light inside the room dimmed. Obi-Wan stood to his feet with Rey in his arms.

"Promise me that you will make sure she is happy," Kylo whispered. The act of speaking any louder than a whisper was more than he could bare in that moment.

Obi-Wan stopped walking, but refused to turn around and look at Kylo. "I am afraid her happiness was just taken from her." The old man's soft words hit Kylo in the chest.

"But, she will be safe," he said back.

Obi-Wan walked away from the room without another word. Kylo stared at the empty space realizing Rey was truly gone. Seconds turned into minutes as the silence grew loud. He scrambled to his feet and hurried towards the window. He threw them open just in time to see the speeder zoom away from the castle.

Rey was gone. She was truly gone. This was no dream. He had sent her away for forever with no hope she would return to him. The realization of what he had done crashed down on him, and he raised his head to the sky and screamed.


	16. Chapter 16

Rey stared at the objects sitting in front of her. She bit her lip as she studied each one. Something shifted inside her mind, but it was there and gone in an instant. She tried to grab a hold of the feeling of familiarity, but it happened too fast. She shook her head to rid it of the cobwebs creeping in.

She focused her attention back to the objects in front of her and grabbed the first one. She turned it in every direction, looking for something she was not quite sure of. It was just a regular clock, nothing more, but she had a strange feeling that it could talk. Rey laughed at the thought, for this clock was not a droid. The antique did not even work. Her grandfather had made it for her when she was seven.

She sat it back down and picked up the next object. A candelabra. Long had it been since a candle sat in its arms. The brass was chipping away with time, but she got that strange feeling that this, too, had spoken to her at one time. That was impossible, for the candelabra did not even have a face.

The last object was a teapot. She remembered the day she got it. After a long day of scavenging she had headed to the city for rations. There had been a woman begging for food, and Rey had stopped to talk to her. She had nothing to exchange but the teapot but the Lenders had no use for such a thing. Rey had found several pieces to exchange that day, and she chose to help the woman out. In exchange for a large bolt the woman had given her the teapot. Upon its belly was a scene depicting a large castle covered in snow. It was the most beautiful thing Rey had ever seen.

She sat the teapot back down. Her eyes roamed over each object feeling as though she was missing something, but she could not put her finger on it. As she continued to stare, the front door opened and Obi-Wan walked in. She heard him walk towards her and stop. Rey turned to greet him, but the look on his face caused her to pause. His eyes stared at the three objects, growing wide for a second before he gained control of his expression. When he looked at her his face was as stone.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, turning his back on her and walking towards his chair.

Rey turned to fully look at him, shrugging her shoulders. "I do not know. There is something… did they used to talk?"

Obi-Wan did not answer at first but studied her. She expected him to burst out laughing at her question, but he looked almost worried. He slowly sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"What makes you think they used to talk?" He asked, softly.

Rey bit her lip again, her face growing red. "I—I do not know. It is just a feeling I feel, as if I have had conversations with them. I sound completely mad," she answered, laughing uncomfortably.

"You are not mad, Rey. Your dreams have been unsettling lately. Perhaps you dreamed of them talking to you."

Her dreams. For weeks she had had the same dream every night. It started with her looking down upon the most beautiful rose she had ever seen. It's large petals glistened and shimmered in the light taking her breath away. Then, a scream would pierce the air around her. There would be nothing but darkness when she would search for the owner of the scream. Miles and miles of darkened hallways stood out before her as she ran. There was always a light that grew before her and she would run towards it, but before she could make it someone would jump out in front of her. Someone covered head to toe in black. They never spoke to her. Her dream would end in that moment. It would take her much of the morning to break the dream's hold over her.

"No, I have never dreamed of them," she answered, low.

"Come, let me fix you some supper, Rey. Forget about the dream. Forget about those things that do not talk. I want you smiling again. It has been a long time since I saw you smile."

Rey tried to give him a smile right then, but found she could not force one upon her face. She watched him start a fire for cooking their food. There was a box of carrots and potatoes along with several rations. Rey picked up one of the potatoes, turning it around in her hand. Again, she felt something familiar. The carrots and potatoes had not been there that morning, which meant her grandfather had brought them in when he had come home from where ever he had been that day.

"Where did you get these?" she asked, holding up the carrots and potatoes. They were a rare commodity on Jukka. Only the riches of people could afford real food. Her stomach growled just looking at the vegetables.

"I—I told you, Rey, I sold one of my creations. I was able to afford rations for the whole month."

"I am not talking about the rations, Grandfather. Where did you get the vegetables. The Lenders do not sell these."

Obi-Wan turned around and stared at the potato in her hand. Rey got the feeling he was taking his time answering on purpose, as if he were choosing his words carefully.

"The man I sold my creation to has a garden. He loved what I had so much he offered me the vegetables. He said that we would always be welcomed to the garden."

"That was awfully generous of him," Rey said, stunned. It was unheard of for someone to give their food away for nothing, especially real food such as the vegetables.

"Yes, it was," Obi-Wan responded, quietly. He turned back to the fire and began cooking the carrots. Rey detected a sadness in her grandfather's voice.

"Who is he? The man with the garden?" she asked.

"Rey, it seems I have forgotten the bread. Would you do me a favor and take a few packets of rations to the baker and get us a loaf of bread. How does warm bread sound with carrots and potato soup?"

She had a feeling Obi-Wan was dodging her question, but she grabbed the packets of rations and headed towards town with R-2 to keep her company. The town was bustling with people hurrying home from a day's work. The line in front of the Lender's market twisted around like a snake. Rey took a moment to watch the people. They all looked tired after working so hard to feed themselves and their families. At one time she had been among them, but her and Obi-Wan's luck was changing. He had finally sold his creation to the man with the garden and they were blessed with enough food to last them the rest of the month. Due to the man's generosity Rey did not have to worry about scavenging for a while.

"Excuse me?" someone said behind her.

Rey turned and noticed a short man in his mid-fifties with kind eyes. He stared at her, as if trying to understand something that confused him.

"Yes?" she asked, suddenly feeling self conscious.

The man's forehead wrinkled in confusion as he took a step closer. Oddly, Rey did not feel threatened, but felt that same familiarity as she did with the clock, candelabra and teapot. Had she met this man before?

"No wonder he barely comes downstairs to eat," the man said to himself.

It was Rey's turn to look confused. "Who?" she asked.

"Who?" The man repeated, his confusion growing. "The master of the castle, of course. Do you not recognize me? I am his chef."

The master of the castle? "I—I am sorry, but you have me confused with someone else. I have never been to a castle before."

"No, I believe I have a sharp memory. It is you… his guest."

Suddenly, the vision of the man dressed all in black flashed through Rey's mind. She shook her head, trying to free herself of the memory. She did not want to talk to this man anymore.

"Excuse me," she mumbled, trying to pass him, but he stepped in her path.

"He misses you, I can tell. He is more dark than before you came into his life, and I have not heard him speak in weeks."

"I have to go," she said, stepping around him again.

This time, he allowed her to leave without stopping her, though his words followed her all the way to the bakers. Even as she and R-2 left the town his words echoed in her mind. Half way home she slowed the speeder until it came to a complete stop. She was in the middle of the dessert, the sun going down in front of her. The man's words would not go away. Obviously, he had her confused with someone else. She has never left the cave, and had especially never been in a castle. Why, then, did his words effect her so? Who was the man he was talking about, and why did she think of the man in her dreams?

She looked out across the vast dessert and noticed a lone star in the distance. It winked at her, and she wished she could touch it. It hung over a part of Jakku she had never been to before… the forbidden outskirts of the planet. She sat back in her seat and stared towards the nothingness, yet she felt a pull towards the star. Chewing on her fingernail, she wondered what was out there. There was only one way to find out. She put the speeder in drive and headed towards the star.

Behind her, R-2 spoke up in protest of the direction she was taking them. "I am just going a little ways to see what is out there," she mumbled. He responded louder.

A strong wind blew towards them sending up sand in their direction and hitting them head on. Rey screamed and brought the speeder to a sudden stop. The wind died down, but not before covering her and R-2 in sand. She sat, wide-eyed, and stared ahead of her. Her heart pounded against her chest, making her reverse the speeder and drive as fast as she could away from that direction. Whatever was out there was letting her know she was not welcomed.

When she was a safe distance away, she stopped the speeder again and climbed out. She took down her hair and shook it to get the sand out. R-2 was covered in sand as well, and she cleaned him off as best she could.

"Well, that did not work out so well," she said, to the droid.

She looked up at the star again, noticing how bright it was becoming with the exit of the sun. It brought light to the darkened sky. She reached her hand towards it, as if she could touch the star.

"Rey…"

A voice called out to her on the wind causing her to gasp and spin around. She looked in every direction, but there was nothing there but sand. Her breath came out in short pants as her mind went spiraling out of control for an answer to what she had heard.

Her attention drew back to the outskirts of Jakku, and suddenly she realized the voice had come from that direction.

"Hello?" she whispered.

Silence. There was no response, no wind. The only thing she heard was the beating of her own heart. When R-2 made a noise moments later she jumped in surprise. She needed to get away from this place and go home where it was safe. With one final look at the star, Rey jumped back in the speeder and headed home.

She had never tasted anything as good as the carrots and potatoes. Her mind went back to the man who had shared his garden with her grandfather, and she sent him a quick thank you in her mind.

"Will you tell me about the man with the garden, now? I know you were avoiding the question earlier," Rey asked.

Obi-Wan did not answer, but got to his feet and began to clear off their small table. For the second time he was dodging her. What was about this man that made him run away? Rey got up and followed him towards their small make-shift kitchen.

"There is not much to tell. I do not know him very well. End of story."

"But he…"

"Enough!" Obi-Wan said, sternly. Rey jumped, surprised he used that tone with her. She could not remember a time he had ever spoken harshly to her. Obi-Wan took a few moments to calm himself before turning to meet her surprised gaze. "I am sorry, Rey. If you will excuse me I need to go lie down."

He left her gawking at his back, her mind a fog of confusion. Rey did not feel like sleeping just yet. Her dreams were waiting for her, and she wanted to avoid them as long as she could. Instead, she walked out into the hot night and sat upon a large rock. Her eyes drew towards the large star again. Even as millions of stars joined it, this particular star stood out. She could not recall noticing it before today. She raised her hand, pretending to touch it as she did early that day.

A scream in the distance pierced the silent night. Rey was on her feet in an instant, staring towards the star. She heard it again, more faint than the first time. Something in her wanted to reach the person screaming, something familiar yet out of her reach.

"I am here," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes. She felt the person's pain… felt their loneliness. It shot through her like electricity.

Rey waited to hear more, but the silence consumed her again. Whatever made the screams was gone. She felt as though this had happened to her before… several times. Her heart felt heavy, as if she had some vested interest in the scream. A vision came to her, a vision of her holding someone. That someone was dressed in all black. She grabbed for it, but it dissolved into smoke. Frustrated, she shook her head and went to get ready for bed.

Rey ran through the hallways again. The darkness was closing in making it harder for her to see. Someone needed her, someone in pain. A light began to grow ahead of her making her decide to run towards it. At the last second, someone grabbed her arm forcing her to stop. The man dressed all in black stood behind her, holding her in place. As soon as Rey felt consciousness pull at her she fought against it. This time, she would find out who this man was that haunted her dreams. She turned away from the light and focused in on the face she could not see. There was something in front of his face making it difficult for her to see him.

Rey reached her hand out to touch his face, but his hand shot out to stop her. His hold was firm but did not hurt. He pulled her towards him, and she went without a fight. He large frame surrounded her, protected her from the darkness. The warmth from his body caressed her skin.

"Who are you?" she whispered, her voice echoing around her.

He never answered. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her. Rey copied him, holding tightly to him. Consciousness was pulling at her harder. She whimpered, for she was not ready to leave. She felt safe here, felt as if she were home.

Suddenly, the man stiffened. Rey heard him gasp as his hands fell to his side. He slumped towards her as she tried to catch him, but they both fell to the floor. He moaned, mumbling her name. Rey held him in her lap as a something wet formed around his chest. She touched it and watched her skin turn red. He was bleeding. Rey was being pulled away from him, but she fought to remain at his side.

"Tell me what to do!" she screamed.

He never answered her, but reached slowly towards her face. His fingers gently skimmed across her wet cheeks. Rey searched for something to stop the bleeding, but there was nothing. She was unprepared when consciousness pulled her again. Rey tried to grab a hold of his outstretched hand, but she was too late. He disappeared in front if her eyes and she was back in her cave.

Rey sat up, tears streaming down her face. Her hands were still outstretched towards the man in black, but he was gone. She stumbled out of bed and headed outside. Once the hot air hit her she fell to her knees. The harsh hand of sadness crushed her for reasons she could not explain. It had only been a dream. Yet, she could still feel his arms around her. She could still feel his warmth blanket over her.

"Rey?"

Obi-Wan was there beside her in an instant, wrapping his arms around her. She fell into his hold, a sob escaping her lips. He rocked her gently, shushing her sobs softly.

"He needs me," she sobbed, her eyes searching the darkness.

"Who, Rey?" Obi-Wan asked, concern etched in his voice.

"The man in black. He is hurt. I cannot see him anymore…"

Obi-Wan held her tighter, trying to calm her down. "It was a dream, Rey. It was only a dream."

Obi-Wan was right, but why, then, would the truth not release her? So many nights she had had the dream and woke up just fine. Until this last time. This time, she was trapped in the memory of the blood seeping through his shirt.

An hour flew by, and then another, before she was able to dry the tears from her eyes and walk back in the cave. Obi-Wan fixed her a hot cup of spiced water and handed it to her. As she sipped her drink, she stared at the clock, candelabra and teapot. Her puffy eyes squinted at them.

"They are cursed," Rey whispered, entranced.

"W—what?" Obi-Wan croaked, pulling her attention back to him.

Rey blinked a few times, as if coming out of a fog. "Huh?" she said, confused.

Suddenly, the cave melted away and she stood before a dark castle. At her feet was a garden. She gasped, and the cave came back into view. Rey jumped to her feet, her eyes wide in fear. What was happening to her, for it felt like she was going mad? She was seeing things that were not there.

"Rey, calm down. You are safe here with me. This is your home," Obi-Wan said, walking slowly towards her.

Rey stumbled back, tripping over a large box at her feet. She fell with a loud gasp as the box ripped open and the contents poured out. She stared at the torn box, her eyes growing wide. Her grandfather had said the man had given them rations to get through the month, but what she saw was more rations than they needed in a year.

"Rey," Obi-Wan warned, but she was past listening.

Her hand slowly reached for the box and the moment she touched it a multitude of scenes flooded her mind. Obi-Wan in a cell… the man in black standing before her. A clock that spoke. A candelabra and teapot that spoke as well. Finn. Poe. Maz. Rey gasped. The militia taking her away and the man in black coming to save her. He had been hurt just like in her dream. His blood poured into her hand, red and warm. Her anger and fear turning into caring and compassion. Holding the man in black as he screamed in pain. Kissing him. His name floated into her mind putting back what was taken from her.

"Kylo," she sobbed.

She had forgotten him. How had that been possible? Her wide eyes turned to Obi-Wan who had sank to his knees beside her as her memories came back to her. She opened her mouth to speak, but the memories were not done with her.

Thrown back into darkness she watched the castle come into view. She watched Kylo give her the garden. He had shown her the stars, taking her as close to them as she had ever been. The scene evaporated, taking her to the room with the rose. Kylo held her close, tears running down his face as he whispered words in her ear.

"There will never be a day that goes by that I do not think of you. You are my light, will always be my light. I do not regret loving you. You… were the best thing to ever happen to me."

"Kylo," she breathed, as she watched herself lose consciousness.

The room disappeared and Obi-Wan's face appeared before her once more. He looked at her like a man who had done something unspeakable.

"He wiped my memories?" she asked, whispering.

"Yes."

"H—How long have I been back?" she asked, scared of the question.

"Three weeks," he answered, low.

Rey felt a punch in her stomach. She had forgotten him for three weeks. She had forgotten them all. Why would Kylo do that? He had promised, begged her to stay with him. There had to be more that Obi-Wan was not saying.

"And, you knew?"

"Y—Yes," he replied, his eyes falling from hers.

Rey let out a small sound of disbelief and stood to her feet. Anger surged through her at what they had done. Over and over she walked in a circle as Obi-Wan kneeled before her.

"Neither of you had a right to mess with my mind!" she seethed.

"Rey, you do not understand. You were in dan—"

"No!" she yelled, causing him to snap his mouth closed. "You do not get to justify this to me. Kylo took my memories and you allowed him to do it! That is a betrayal on both of your parts!"

"I will do whatever I need to do to protect you… and so will he. He said if you stayed you would be in danger. We got you out… together!"

"What danger?" Rey said, some of her anger fading.

"I do not know. He did not say. My main concern was getting you out of there."

Rey looked around the cave as if noticing it's existence for the first time. Kylo had sent her away, wiping her memories, because she was in trouble? Her dream played in her mind. Rey looked down at her hands expecting to see blood, but there was none. If danger would come to her by staying there would it not come to him as well?

"No," Rey gasped, turning for the door.

"Rey, do not go back," Obi-Wan said, grabbing her arm.

She turned and looked at her grandfather. The pain in his eyes cut through her like a knife. The anger she felt towards him melted away, and her love for him surged forward. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly to her.

"I do not want to lose you," he whispered in her ear.

"You will never lose me," she cried, slamming her eyes shut. "He is in trouble, Grandfather. I know this with all my heart. He needs me. A—and there is something I need to tell him. Something I was unsure of at first… but now I know."

Obi-Wan slowly let her go, leaning back to meet her watery stare. He searched her eyes, as of looking for something. A small smile grew upon his lips in understanding.

"There was good in him, after all," Obi-Wan whispered, letting her go.

Rey kissed her grandfather on the cheek and ran to the door. Yes, there was good in him and she would save him if it was the last thing she did.


	17. Chapter 17

He slowly watched a petal fall from the vine of the flower. It's red tint turning a black in death as it slowly floated to the bottom of the glass case. There was one red rose petal left, but Kylo could not seem to bring himself to care. Three weeks has past since he had sent Rey away. They had been the worst of his life. The moment she had left the castle he had put on the mask of Kylo Ren and had never taken it off. His eyes had not seen real sunlight in three weeks.

"You must eat something, Ben," came Maz's gentle voice.

It was the same routine every day. She would come into his room and beg him to eat, yet he would not give her a sideways glance. He was a man with little time left. What good would it do to eat?

"Another petal has fallen," he said, his voice muffled by the mask, it's robotic tone bouncing off the walls. "There is only one left."

"Ben…"

"My name is not Ben!" Kylo yelled. He could not afford to hear that name anymore. That name meant hope. It meant a future. He had neither.

He could feel the beast within him stir. The animal was slowly beginning to take over and the man he was was slowly becoming less and less as the days past. There would be no signs of Ben Solo inside of him soon enough.

"L—leave me… please, Maz," he whispered, softening his tone.

With a deep sign of defeat, Maz did as Kylo asked of her. She slowly turned from him and hobbled out of the room, leaving him to his thoughts once more. Behind the mask, he closed his eyes and she was there in the darkness with him. Rey.

He reached out with his mind, trying to find her in the world outside his window. It took a moment, but the familiar breeze rustling inside his head swam to the surface. She was close, closer than she had been in weeks. He missed her, missed her so much sometimes it was hard to breathe due to the ache he felt in her absence. That is what he allowed himself to reach out with his mind. He never held her presence long. He has caused her several nightmares, for which he truly regretted. But, even in those moments he cherished her closeness.

Rey seemed different today, as if determined. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions running so swiftly he could not get a good feel of them. What had happened? Kylo was on his feet before he knew it, cutting the connecting to Rey. Something had happened, something that was causing her distress. He began to pace, reminding himself she was not his to protect anymore. Even if he wanted to go to her she would not remember him. He made sure of that. Whatever was wrong with her Obi-Wan would handle it. Why did that not make him feel better?

He left the room with the rose and walked towards his bedroom. His shoulders slumped forward, as if he carried the weight of the world. At least the hurt and pain would be over soon. He would be lost to the beast and join Snoke. He would remember nothing of this life. He felt no peace from that thought. Pain would be a better choice than what lay ahead of him. He sat on his bed, slumping forward and laying his head in his hands.

He remained in that position for some time, lost in his darkened thoughts. He missed the commotion outside his bedroom door. He never heard the excited voices rising in the hallway, until his door slid open and the light from the hallway spilled through the darkness. Kylo slowly raised his head ready to give someone a tongue lashing, but the moment he saw Maz's face he was alert in an instant. The small teapot's eyes were large and glistening in the light. Her lips parted into a large smile.

"S—she is here, Ben," Maz whispered.

At first Maz's words made no sense. Who was here? The one who had caused the curse over him? Has she come to finish the job? As the seconds rolled passed Maz's smile grew larger. No… it could not be.

"R—Rey?" He asked, barely able to speak her name

Maz nodded her head, laughing with excitement. He could hear laughter all throughout the hallways as the inhabitants of the house rushed towards the stairs to the first floor below. Kylo walked out into the hallway, but he did not follow the others. Instead, he turned and headed back to the room with the rose.

Walking past the frail rose, Kylo looked out towards his front lawn and what he saw stopped his heart. There she was, walking slowly towards the entrance to his castle. She was a dream, a vision, he never could hope to see again. His heart beat hard against his chest, his eyes wide in shock. Her hands touched the gate to push it open, but it would not budge. She grabbed the old iron and shook it, her face showing her confusion.

"She will die, Kylo Ren," a voice whispered inside his head.

Kylo grabbed his head, slamming his eyes closed. He fell to his knees at the sudden pressure upon him. Snoke was here. He was watching. "No," he whispered. He had to stop her, make her turn away from this place. She was in more danger than she could ever imagine.

Kylo pulled himself to his feet, his eyes trained on Rey. While he fight with Snoke inside his mind she had climbed over the iron gates and was making her way through the yard of the castle. He threw his hands out towards her and watched as the grass around her began to grow. It reached into the air, nine feet high, trapping her where she stood. The only way out was to go backwards.

Rey came to a sudden stop, her mouth opening in a startled scream he could not hear. Her eyes were wide, her breathing coming out in short pants. "Turn around," he whispered, desperate. "Please, turn around, Rey."

As if she heard him, Rey took a step back. Her eyes searched all around her. They landed on the castle and rose into the air, until she looked at the window where he stood with his arms stretched out. Their eyes locked, and Kylo felt a shock flow through him when he saw recognition in her eyes. She knew him… some how she knew him. She looked at his arms stretched out and down at the grass blocking her way. He watched her realize it was he that stopped her from moving forward. Darkness crossed her face as she looked back at him. Her eyes grew hard. Rey was angry.

She reached out, grabbing the grass in front of her and pulled. Large clumps came loose in her hands and she threw them aside. She kicked her legs out making small paths in front of her. With her body she pushed forward, her teeth bared at the effort. Determined, Rey would get through his field of grass. Kylo watched her, in awe of her strength. Rey never relented, never gave up. Sweat poured from her brow, her hair plastered to her forehead, but she kept pushing forward.

Kylo slowly lowered his hands. When he did, the grass slowly shrunk to its original size. Rey stopped fighting and looked around her, surprise evident on her face. She did not waste time, but ran the rest of the way towards the door. Kylo watched her until she disappeared below him, his eyes slowly closing. Inside, he was torn. The thought of Rey being back in his arms brought a joy he never knew could exist. But, it also brought a terror that took his breath away. How would he protect her from Snoke?

He leaned forward, against the glass, and rested his head against the cool surface. He was helpless to resist her, helpless to protect her. Behind him the door opened and he heard her small footsteps enter the room. He could not face her, not yet. The moment their eyes met he would be at her mercy. Did she hate him? Was she happy to see him? How had she broken his memory swipe?

"Why did you make me forget you," she asked softly, her voice breaking. Kylo took a deep breath and slowly turned to look at her. Large tears clung to her eyes as anger looked out at him. "Take that stupid mask off!" She spat.

He raised shaking hands towards his mask, releasing it and removing it slowly. The air felt cold to his skin. It had been weeks since he felt it upon his face. He stood before her, raw and open. When he looked at her with his own eyes the pain and betrayal were even more apparent. Rey walked towards him, cutting the large gap that separated them. He knew what she was about to do, yet he did not stop her. He deserved what came next. Rey's hand slapped him hard across the face jerking his head to the side. The effort caused the big tears in her eyes to slide down her cheeks.

He slowly looked back at her, turning his other cheek to her to attack as well. Her forehead scrunched up in confusion at this, and she took a step away from him. "Go ahead," he whispered. "Hit me again. Hit me as many times as it takes. But after you get your revenge…leave!"

His words seemed to drain her of her anger. Her shoulders fell, her eyes looking down at the ground. "I promised you I would stay. You promised that I could," she said, her face devastated.

"I do not need you anymore," he said, the lie dripping from his mouth like acid. If it took breaking her heart to save her he would. As long as she was safe nothing else mattered to him. She could hate him for the rest of her life just as long as she had a chance to live that life.

"You do not mean that," she whispered.

"I mean every word," he said, as if it were true. "You are nothing, Rey. You come from nothing. You are in my way here. I need peace and quiet, something I will not get with you around. Go back to being nothing!" He spat.

She took a step away from him, her face shocked. His words had cut her deeper than anything would. He hated himself for putting that look upon her beautiful face, hated himself for being the cause of such devastation in her life.

"You are a monster," she whispered, taking another step back.

He walked towards her, pushing his face towards her. "Yes, I am."

Rey recoiled away from him, as if expecting him to strike her. That single gesture almost made his façade crumble. He would never harm her, never lay a violent hand upon her. "I do not believe you," she said, her eyes cutting in to him. "It is Snoke, isn't it? He has threatened me and you're trying to protect me."

"No," he said, unable to say more as he felt Snoke's presence in his mind. He was close… so very close. "Get out of my castle," he growled, grabbing her arm.

Kylo drug Rey from the room into the hallway. With every step, Snoke's presence grew. He felt his hold slipping and felt Snoke try and take control. "No!" He yelled.

"Let me go!" Rey said, trying to untangle herself from his grasp. He clamped down harder fighting her and Snoke at the same time. "Ben, stop this!" She screamed.

"I will kill her, Kylo!"

For a moment he lost control and the beast took over. He pushed Rey against the wall and screamed. His fist came forward and struck the wall beside her head going straight through it. She screamed. Snoke laughed. Kylo was drowning in the darkness unaware that he had pushed himself away from Rey to the other side of the hallway. "GO!" He screamed, over and over.

Rey pushed herself from the wall and ran down the hallway. Watching her, Kylo came to himself again, the horror at what he had just done hitting him in the chest. He went after her, running as fast as he could to catch her.

He took the stairs two at a time to reach her. He passed his servants who looked on with shocked faces. He was almost right behind her when she reached for the door. He could not let her leave, not terrified of him as she was. She could hate him, never want to see him again, but he could not allow her to be frightened of him. He was not sure why, but it destroyed him. Perhaps he wanted to hold on to the fact that she believed he could be human again. That belief gave him hope… hope that it could come true.

"Rey!" He called to her, yet she did not stop.

She grabbed the door and jerked it open. The moment she did light flooded into the castle blinding them all. The sound of wind ripping around the grounds floated inside towards them. Rey shielded her eyes, startled, as she came to a stop at the door. Kylo recovered first, reaching her side and looking out into the lawn to see what was causing such bright light. What he saw made him grow pale. His breath caught in his throat, and on instinct he threw himself in front of Rey to protect her from what was before them.

"No," he whispered, his strength and adrenaline draining away.

Snoke had arrived.


End file.
